A Road Not Taken
by winter s. jameson
Summary: This is the story of what might have happened had Jack, Daniel, and Sam met and known each other as they were growing up on the paths that led them to become three quarters of SG1. Chs. 7 & 10 are rated M. Ch 20 up - that's right, a new chapter!
1. Chapter 1

A Road Not Taken - Chapter One

by Winter S. Jameson

Category: A/U, Drama

Spoilers: None

Season: Pre-Stargate the Movie

Warnings: Slight language

Summary: This is the story of what might have happened had Jack, Daniel, and Sam met and known each other as they were growing up on the paths that led them to become three-quarters of SG-1.

Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters belong to MGM/UA, Showtime/Viacom, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is merely for entertainment purposes. No money has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

As far as field trips went, any kind of museum had to be the most boring place ever invented. At least that's what Jack O'Neill thought about the latest trek he'd been dragged along for. Although the dinosaur exhibit was kinda cool, and the new Egyptian display was sorta promising, this wasn't the kind of thing he'd expected to deal with when he'd signed up for Art Appreciation. The assumption was that the class would be an easy "A" to help him coast through ninth grade, the so-called tough transition year of high school. Now he was thinking he should have taken Ceramics.

The only good thing about Mister Guilder's latest attempt to "bring culture to today's youth" was that Jack got out of classes for the day.

Lazily rubbing a hand over his crop-cut brown hair, Jack only half-listened to his teacher-turned-tour-guide as the group of thirty or so students finally reached the culmination of the older man's vision of cultural exposure: the Peasants and Pageantry of Ancient Egypt exhibit. "All of the structures and artifacts I'll be showing you were recently excavated and brought to the United States by Doctors Melbourne and Claire Jackson," Guilder expounded in the superior tone he always used with his students. It was just one reason for his lack of popularity. "You will all need to be extremely careful as we make our way through the exhibit, and be sure not to touch anything."

Jack rolled his eyes. How old did this guy think they were, six? If something was old enough to be referred to as an artifact, it was probably easy to break. It was also pretty sure to be very expensive. So logic would say don't do anything that would break something it would take you the rest of your life to pay for. But that was just him.

A light tugging on the arm of his jacket made Jack realize he'd fallen to the back of the group, and Guilder was in the middle of a long-winded spiel about some weird squiggles carved into a block of grey stone. The teenager looked down to see who or what was trying to get his attention.

A small, thin boy with unruly blond hair looked up at him with wide blue eyes. "Excuse me," he said politely, a slight accent there Jack couldn't quite identify. "Is there a way to tell the man he's made a mistake without causing offense?" The boy gestured toward the still-babbling art teacher.

"I doubt it," Jack replied with a snort of amusement. "Guilder doesn't take criticism very well, especially from people younger than him." He cocked his head to the side. "What did he make a mistake about and how do you know he did?"

"He referred to the hieroglyphs inscribed on that stone as a royal cartouche. There is no line encircling them, so it probably wasn't used in reference to the pharaoh."

The seriousness in the younger boy's tone made Jack smile. "You know a lot about this stuff, don't you?"

The little blond nodded eagerly. "I've spent most of my life around things like this. There's always so much to learn. But someday I'll know as much as my mom and dad, and travel to places and do what they do."

"And what's that?"

"They're archaeologists," was the proud response.

The older boy grinned and lifted his head to see if anyone else had overheard the conversation. He was surprised to see they were alone. "Crap. I think the tour went on without me."

"I can give you the tour," Jack's young companion offered shyly, but with confidence underlying the tone.

Brown eyes looked down on the light-haired tyke in contemplation. Well, it couldn't be any worse than Kill-joy Guilder and his "you-need-to-experience-culture-but-I-know-you'll-never-understand-it" attitude. Heck, it might even be fun, if that light in the bright blue eyes staring up at him so trustingly meant anything. "Why not?" Jack said finally with a conspirator's smile. "I'll just meet the class in the reception area right before we're supposed to leave. I bet Guilder won't even miss me." He thrust out his right hand. "My name's Jack."

"I'm Daniel," the boy responded, delighted, shaking the offered appendage.

The next three hours were the most interesting the teenaged young man had ever spent in a museum. His companion was amazingly knowledgeable about the different exhibits, especially considering he was six years old as Jack found out. The kid was obviously a genius in the making, telling Jack about the stories behind some of the artifacts and translating some of the foreign texts without even thinking about it. And he had a good sense of humor, laughing at the jokes the older boy told him without reservation. Not bad for a kid who had spent most of his six years on various digs throughout Egypt and the Middle East being home-schooled by his parents along the way.

Had you told the smart-ass teenager even the day before that he would find himself becoming friends with a kid eight years younger than himself, Jack would have laughed in your face. By the time he and Daniel were returning to the museum entrance so Jack could rejoin his class with no one the wiser, however, the fledgling friendship they'd begun was the most natural thing in the world. It was just too bad the younger boy was only visiting the Twin Cities.

"You know," Jack began as Mister Guilder started taking a head count, "today turned out a lot better than I thought it would. Thanks, Danny." Daniel's face lit up at the diminutive, his eyes sparkling like twin stars in the rounded features. "What?" Jack asked, confused by the reaction.

"My mom and dad call me Danny. I guess this means you really like me."

The older boy shook his head with a wry smile at the proud tone. "Well, yeah. You're pretty cool for a kid."

"I like you, too, Jack. I hope I can come see you again someday."

"Tell your mom and dad they need to set up an exhibit here. I'll be sure to come and visit, and you can give me another tour. I bet I'll forget everything you told me by then."

The bright blue eyes were far too knowing for so young a child. "No, you won't," Daniel said confidently. He leaned in to whisper, "You're really smart, even if you don't want anyone to know about it. If you really want to fly airplanes for the Air Force like you said, you have to be smart and go to school. I bet the better in school you are, the better airplanes they let you fly."

Jack considered it. "My dad says something like that whenever I gripe about my homework." He grinned. "Your way sounds better. We'll see, though." Daniel straightened and laughed.

"O'Neill!" Guilder called out, aiming a jaundiced gaze in his direction. "Stop picking on the young child and get over here! We're just about ready to leave."

"He's not!" Daniel cried, his indignation overcoming his desire to avoid causing offense. "Jack never picked on me!"

"Daniel, don't worry about it. It doesn't matter," Jack said softly, his eyes hard as they glared at his teacher.

Daniel gave him an incredulous look. "Yes, it does. You're my friend."

"O'Neill, we're leaving. I expect to see you on the bus in five minutes." Guilder shot the brown-haired teenager a haughty, exasperated look - that was totally ignored as Jack stared with complete surprise at the boy at his side - before turning on his heel and leading his snickering students out to the waiting bus.

Jack turned back at the sound of the group leaving. "God, he's a prick," he muttered with a roll of his eyes.

"I don't like the way he talks to you," Daniel grumbled. "He's not very nice. And he's not a good teacher, either."

"Tell me something I don't know." The taller boy looked down at the young blond speculatively. "You didn't have to do that."

"But you're my friend." Blue eyes looked up at him earnestly.

Jack gave a half-smile of disbelief. "You are something else, Daniel. Friends are really important to you, aren't they?"

Daniel shrugged. "I don't have very many. We move around too much."

"Well, I guess you've got me. Remember that." He ruffled the unruly golden locks and laughed at the scowl the action produced. "I have to go or they'll leave without me. I'll try to get my dad to bring me down this weekend and maybe we'll run into each other then, okay?"

The boy gave him a thousand-watt smile. "I'll be here. Thank you, Jack."

Jack waved as he started to walk quickly toward the front doors. As he reached them, he heard a woman call out, "Danny! That's where you ended up!" A glance over his shoulder as he paused in the act of leaving showed him a lean brunette woman with her long, straight hair tied back in a ponytail running over to his new little friend and gathering him up in her arms, nearly dislodging her horn-rimmed glasses. "Your father and I were worried when you weren't in the exhibit."

"You were busy double checking your Isis sculptures, and Daddy was talking with Mister Tilton, and Jack needed someone to give him a tour when his class left him behind because he was talking to me. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Did you find him, Doctor Jackson?" a lady that Jack recognized from the information desk when he'd first come in asked as she hurried over to the mother-and-son pair.

Doctor Jackson? He probably should have put it together sooner, but it took that final piece for Jack to realize that his little tour guide was the son of the two archaeologists that had put together the Peasants and Pageantry of Ancient Egypt exhibit. He wanted to smack himself in the forehead. How could he have missed it? "I guess you really will be here this weekend, won't you, Daniel Jackson?" he muttered under his breath with a smile before finally leaving and catching the bus just in time.

* * *

Jack's father was unable to take him to the Cities and the museum where he'd met the boy who had made such an incredible impression, much to Jack's disappointment. He read that the Egyptian exhibit had moved on to a museum somewhere in Madison, Wisconsin by the time the next weekend had rolled around, and regretted not giving in to the impulse he'd felt to give young Daniel Jackson his address to keep in touch. He couldn't believe the bond he felt with the boy. It was actually somewhat unnerving.

As time went by he thought of Daniel less and less, although he always stopped by the museum every time he was in Minneapolis. It was during one of those visits two years later, the fall semester of his junior year, that he heard a stunning piece of news. He'd been looking forward to finally getting to see his young friend again; the Jacksons were scheduled to open a new Egyptian exhibit just before Halloween. After saying hello to Sharon, a gorgeous, blonde sophomore at one of the Twin Cities' high schools who worked at the information desk and doubled as a tour guide on the weekends, Jack moved on to the Custer's Last Stand exhibit. This was the traveling display that would be leaving in just over a month to make room for the wonders of Egypt.

The sixteen-year-old was scowling at the fake-looking arrows the Indian models were using - he gave an internal sigh when he realized he'd obviously been spending way too much time looking at stuff like that if he was able to make that distinction - when Nancy Jacobson, the assistant curator whom he'd befriended during his frequent visits, walked over to the sign announcing the upcoming Egyptian exhibit that stood next to Jack. Her green eyes were filled with tears.

"Miss Jacobson, what's wrong?" Jack asked, surprised.

The older woman started to take down the sign. "I'm afraid the Jacksons won't be coming back to Minneapolis, Jack," she said sorrowfully. "There was an accident when they were setting up their exhibit at the New York Museum of Art."

The young man's brown eyes widened. "What kind of accident?" The words were barely audible.

"I'm not sure; I didn't get all the details. I was just told that the Jacksons died while they were setting up the exhibit." Tears began to fall unnoticed down her cheeks.

"All of them?" His last question was even softer than the one before.

"I can only guess that's the case. Claire and Mel always took Daniel everywhere. He was always so proud when he could help." Nancy paused in the act of rolling up the promotional poster to fight back a sob. She'd always been fond of the young, idealistic couple and their bright, precocious son. "And now it's bound to be splashed all over the evening news with no regard to the grief it will cause to the people that loved them." She started losing the struggle against expressing her own grief. "I'm sorry, Jack. I have to go." She hurried off in the direction of her office.

Jack stood where the honey-blonde woman had left him, staring after her without really seeing anything. The little boy with the wide, trusting blue eyes and the never-ending fountain of knowledge so incredible for a child his age was gone. This had been a child who had subconsciously inspired him to try harder in school - as much as he still didn't care for it and kept hiding his aptitude from his friends - by knowing intuitively that the older boy he had given a tour was more than he'd seemed and telling him so. This had been a boy that had stood up to a man he'd previously not wanted to offend to defend someone he'd seen as a friend, even though he'd only known him for a little over three hours. This was someone Jack had felt an immediate connection to, as improbable as it seemed, no matter the age difference. And now he'd never see Daniel again.

He couldn't stay at the museum any longer. His jaw clenched, Jack ran from the place with no regard for the other patrons, hopping into his car - some hand-me-downs from his oldest brother he could live with - and taking off for home. Forty-five minutes later, the old beater pulled into its home in the O'Neill driveway and jerked to halt, Jack flying out of the vehicle and into the house. The teenager immediately dashed into the living room and turned the television to a channel that was just starting the evening news.

"You know, I was watching something," a sarcastic voice said from the couch to the right of where Jack sat on the floor directly in front of the screen.

"Sorry, Chris. Gotta watch the news," Jack said to his brother shortly.

"Since when do you desperately need to watch the news?" Chris asked, bewildered by his younger sibling's behavior. Jack said nothing.

"And in other news, a sudden, tragic accident at the New York Museum of Art has claimed the lives of two up and coming, well-received archaeologists. Melbourne and Claire Jackson were killed this morning when the stone exhibit they had been supervising the construction of as part of their latest traveling exhibit collapsed. Museum officials told the press that an investigation into the cause of the accident would be begun as soon as possible. Back to you, Jim."

Jack gasped as the newscaster wrapped up the short story, the even shorter film footage taken earlier that day

and played back in a small viewing screen above the co-anchor's left shoulder showing the young man something he never expected. There, in the far corner, amazingly enough being totally ignored, was Daniel Jackson. He was taller and his face had begun to lose the roundness Jack remembered from their encounter two years previous, but there could be no doubt that this was the same boy he'd been waiting to talk to again, and he was most definitely alive. He was in complete shock, but alive.

"Jack?" his brother asked, a little worried. "Are you okay? Did you know those people or something?"

Jack shrugged. "I know their son," he said shortly.

Chris' brow furrowed with confusion. "How?"

"Do you remember that art appreciation class I took my freshman year?"

The older boy snorted. "Oh, yeah. I told you you should have taken ceramics. Mister Guilder won't let me live you down."

"Mister Guilder is an ass," Jack retorted, knowing Chris held the same opinion of the man, even if he was stuck with him for his advanced painting class. "Anyway, he took us on a field trip one day to see this one exhibit on ancient Egypt. The Jacksons were the ones who had put it together, and their son Daniel was with them."

"Was this at that museum you're always going to?"

"So what if it is?" the younger of the two said defensively.

Chris held up his hands in surrender. "Don't take my head off; I was just asking."

Jack sighed. "Sorry. So I was lagging behind everyone kinda griping to myself about what an idiot Guilder is when this kid tugs on my sleeve and asks if there's a way to tell the guy he's wrong without offending him. We talked for a bit, found out the tour had left without me, and he offered to show me around. I took him up on it figuring it had to be more entertaining than Guilder could ever be." He shrugged, a smile threatening to make an appearance. "I was right. I never thought I'd get all buddy-buddy with a six year old, but that kid was already smarter than I could ever dream of being. And then Daniel yelled at Guilder when the jerk claimed I was picking on the kid. Said it was because I was his friend. The kid had only known me for maybe three hours and he considered me his friend."

His expression grew serious again. "I'd heard that Daniel's parents were supposed to be bringing a new Egyptian exhibit here around Halloween. I was looking forward to it. Then, today, Miss Jacobson told me she'd heard there was an accident in New York and the Jacksons had been killed. She didn't know for sure, but she thought it had been all of them. I had to know for sure."

"Well, that explains the bum rush to the television," Chris said wryly. "I take it you found out what you needed to know?" There was a thread of concern and sympathy beneath the lazy tone.

Jack nodded. "I saw him in the little clip they showed. Daniel's alive. No one was paying any attention to him - which does not make me happy, by the way - but he was there." He frowned. "I wonder if there's any way to get a hold of him."

"There might be. You'd have to do some research though, and we both know how much you like doing that."

Jack's expression lightened a little as he smiled slightly to acknowledge the truth of the statement. "Maybe, but Daniel looked really lost, and no one was there for him. I told him a long time ago that he had me. That's close enough to a promise to count, and, well..."

Chris nodded. "An O'Neill doesn't break a promise. I know the drill. Let me do a little looking, see if I can help you out. With senior privileges during study hall, I should be able to spend a little more time in the library than you can."

"Thanks, Chris. I really appreciate it."

"Any time, bro. Besides, it's the least I can do for the kid who got my little brother to acknowledge he actually had a brain." He laughed at the shocked look Jack gave him. "Don't think I didn't notice about what time you actually started doing your homework and Dad stopped griping about your grades after parent-teacher conferences. Now that I know some background, things make a little more sense. This Daniel Jackson must have had some effect on you to change you from a Neanderthal to a human being!"

Jack just growled and pounced on the older boy, starting an impromptu wrestling match, happy underneath it all that he had someone like his brother in his life and hoping he might have the chance to do the same for Daniel. It was the least he could do for such a special young man.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

* * *

America could be such a confusing place, Daniel Jackson thought as he sat at his bedroom window at his most recent foster home. He'd just moved in two days before, his last set of foster parents requesting a change due to the fact that the almost-nine-year-old boy "spooked" them with his lack of speech. The home before that claimed he talked too much, thus accounting for the physical abuse his social worker had stepped in to protect him from. Ever since his parents died just under a year ago his world had been turned upside down, cast adrift in a place of an infinite number of social mores and customs. How could he fit in if he never knew from day to day or place to place what was expected of him? His parents had always given him time to adjust when they got to a new place... 

Daniel squeezed his eyes shut to fight back the tears that always sprang up when he thought of his parents. It was getting easier to do, and he wasn't sure if he should be grateful or sad about it. When he'd gathered himself again, he refocused on the world outside once again. His blue orbs widened when he realized his social worker was coming up the front walk. Was he going to have to move again? So soon?

Five minutes later, a request for Daniel to come downstairs echoed up to him, and he quickly complied. He didn't want to give anyone a reason to be mad at him. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he saw his social worker, Miss Walker, and his new foster parents, Bill and Jane Michaels, all smiling at him. He just looked at them and blinked, an expression of curiosity shaping his features.

"I was just telling Mister and Mrs. Michaels that I had received some mail for you, and thought you should have it," the young woman most recently assigned to his case said with a gentle smile. She handed Daniel an envelope. "If I get any more, I'll be sure to send them along more promptly. This one floated around the office for two weeks, I'm sorry to say."

Daniel looked at the plain white envelope. "Daniel Jackson, c/o Miss Donna Walker" it said in sloppy hand-printed English. For the life of him, he couldn't think of anyone who would be writing to him.

"Do you know who would write you?" Jane asked softly, unconsciously echoing Daniel's own thoughts. The boy shook his head.

"You don't think this is going to be a problem, do you?" Bill asked Miss Walker, a slight frown marring his ruggedly handsome features. Daniel's eyes widened and he clutched the letter to his chest. He might not know who would write him, but someone obviously cared enough to do so. He wouldn't give that up for anything.

Donna's head turned sharply to face the young blond at the action. "Oh, Daniel, we won't take it away. You go ahead and read it. If it's from someone you don't know, or it says something mean or wrong, let us know, okay?" Daniel stared at her for a long moment before slowly nodding his agreement. "Good. Now why don't you go ahead and take your letter upstairs while I discuss a few things with the Michaels."

Daniel didn't hesitate to obey. A minute later, he was stretched out on his bed on his stomach, his legs slowly kicking back and forth absently as he tore open the envelope and pulled out the folded pages inside. He began to read:

"Dear Daniel,

"I'm sure you weren't expecting this, especially after so long, but I finally managed to track you down. Well, not you, exactly, but someone who would know where you were. I think you know what I mean. I just hope this social worker gives this to you and doesn't send it back like the last two.

"I don't know if you'll remember me or not, but we met when you came to Minneapolis with your parents during the tour of their 'Peasants and Pageantry of Ancient Egypt' exhibit. You ended up giving me a tour when my class moved on without me while we were talking. I should thank you for that, by the way. I got an A+ on the test Mister Guilder gave us when we got back, and even got the three extra credit questions right. Guilder would have accused me of cheating, but no one who sat near me got better than a C. Guess they should have been cheating off of me, huh?

"I have to apologize for something regarding that day. I told you I would come see you at the museum that weekend and didn't show. My dad ended up pulling an extra shift on base that Saturday, and my brother left Friday night to go camping for the weekend with his friends. I probably should have just called the museum and left you a message, but I didn't think of that until after I'd heard the exhibit was gone, and obviously it was too late then. I want you to know I don't normally break a promise like that, and I still feel bad even though it's been almost three years. I just hope I'm sorry is enough.

"I heard about what happened to your parents in New York, and I want to say how very sorry I am. I was at the museum checking out the exhibit your parents were set to take the place of the next month when the assistant curator told me. Man, Daniel, she freaked me out. She didn't have all the information, and so I thought you had died too. I felt so horrible. I'd been looking forward to finally seeing you again, and then you were just... gone. I hurried home (I still don't remember the drive) and turned on the news, hoping to hear more about what had happened. (My brother was a little upset that I changed the channel on him. He'd been watching something.) The news guy spouted off a blurb about the accident, and a short film clip played behind him - and that's when I got some great news. I saw you, alive, in that clip, and even though I felt horrible for you that your parents were gone, I couldn't help but feel selfishly better for myself that you hadn't died with them. My friend was still alive, and that made all the difference.

"I explained things to Chris - my brother that's only a year older than I am; I have another brother that's three years older and a sister that's five years older - and he agreed to help me track you down so I could get you this letter. Well, one like it at least. I've written three letters now, and I'm hoping that this is the one that gets through to you. I don't want to have to write another one. I will if I have to, but I don't want to. Don't get me wrong; I want to get a hold of you. But if this one comes back and I have to write another one it means that another one of your social workers isn't letting you get mail that's rightfully yours, and that's not right. You're not just a case file or a number, you're a person, and you deserve to be treated that way.

"Sorry, I'll get off my soap box now, as my dad always says when he goes off like that.

"Anyway, to let you know what's going on with me, I'm just about to finish my junior year of high school. I've been doing pretty well with my grades; I finally decided I want to go to the Air Force Academy when I graduate, and you need the grades to get in. I want the chance to fly the better planes, just like you said. Chris is about to graduate; he's been accepted to the Art Institute of Chicago, so he'll be taking off for the Windy City once the summer's over. My mom was thrilled to hear that since that's where she lives (my parents are divorced, by the way). I was actually born in Chicago, spent about seven years there before we moved to Minnesota. My mom moved back once she and Dad split up so she could pursue her painting career. She's really good, actually; I know where Chris gets his talent from, that's for sure.

"My dad's a Master Sergeant in the Air Force; he's where I got my love of airplanes from, although it was my uncle Fred who made me want to fly jets. We kids stayed with Dad because he's got a steady income and Mom wasn't sure when she would. By the time she was stable again, Bethany was just graduating high school, Gabriel was about to start his junior year, Chris his freshman year, and I was going into eighth grade. My parents just decided to leave things as they were unless we wanted to move back in with Mom. Chris thought about it, but decided to stay. I hadn't gotten over the fact that she'd left, so I wasn't about to go anywhere. I spend weekends here and there with her, a week during Christmas vacation, and a month during the summer. That's where I'll be in July as a matter of fact.

"I suppose I should wrap this up so I don't bore you too much. I'm going to give you my address at the end of this letter, so you can write me back and let me know how you're doing. I've been worried about you. America has to be really weird after spending most of your life traveling around Egypt and places like that, especially our school system after being home-schooled. I hope your foster parents and social workers have been treating you well; they better have, or I'll have to see what I can do to change that. Do you think I could get you transferred to Minnesota so you could live with us? I'll have to look into that...

"If you can, give me your home address so we can keep in touch. Otherwise let me know how else I can get a hold of you. I promised I'd be there for you, and I want to do everything I can to keep that promise. Hopefully I'll hear from you soon.

"Your Friend,

"Jack O'Neill"

Daniel's hands were shaking as he finished the long letter and tears welled up in his wide blue eyes. He remembered Jack and the exhibit in Minneapolis. He'd had fun with the older boy, and had been so proud to be treated like an equal by him the whole time they were wandering around the museum. He'd also been very disappointed when his parents had taken him along to visit a friend of theirs over the weekend since it would be their last few days in the area for a while. He didn't know how to get a hold of Jack to let him know the change of plans, and was afraid he would hurt the teenager's feelings.

He never expected that Jack would still be thinking of him three years later. What really surprised him was Jack's reaction to the... accident in New York. Had he really been that upset when he thought Daniel was dead too? Was he really that worried about Daniel's welfare? Did he really want to know how Daniel was doing? After Nick had refused to take him in, Daniel wasn't sure he'd ever find someone that cared that much about him again. But it appeared that there had already been someone like that in his life; Jack had just needed to find him again.

The realization that he was not alone, that someone out there really and truly cared for him, no matter how far away that someone was, broke through the boy's defenses and cracked the shell he had built around his heart. And with that crack, the tears finally began to fall. Daniel's body collapsed and his head rested heavily on his crossed arms in front of him, his muffled sobs escaping from the depths of his soul and the inner reaches of the wound his parents' deaths had left behind.

About ten minutes later, the boy's tears had run dry, and he brought his head up wearily with his eyes at half-mast. He was emotionally exhausted, but he had some things to do before he gave into it. Daniel smoothed out the wrinkles he'd made in Jack's letter, paused in the upstairs bathroom to wash his face and hopefully erase the evidence of his tears - he didn't want anyone to think his letter had been a bad thing - and hurried to rejoin the adults in the living room before his social worker left.

Daniel paused in the archway that led from the foyer to the living room and waited to be acknowledged. It wasn't long before Jane noticed him and waved him in. "Are you done reading your letter?" she asked lightly, uncertainty shining in her pale green eyes. Daniel nodded.

"Is there something you wanted to tell us?" Miss Walker asked gently, leaning forward so her eye level matched the boy she spoke with.

Daniel folded the pages of Jack's letter in half, writing side out, and held it out to her, his hand covering most of the words. Donna blinked in surprise, then read what sentences were showing. "Well, I'll be," she said as she leaned back in her chair. "It's from a friend Daniel met a few years ago. He's been trying to reach him for almost a whole year now."

"So he says," Bill qualified suspiciously. The child glared at him.

"From what this friend says he tried to send two previous letters, but Daniel's social workers at the time sent them back. I'll check on that when I get back to the office."

The two foster parents shared a look. "So what do we do now?" Jane asked.

Daniel shifted the papers and showed Donna the end of the last page, covering up the top part of it. "I don't understand," the young social worker said once she'd read the last paragraph and signature. Daniel thrust it at her again more forcefully, somehow getting a finger to point at Jack's address without revealing anything he'd hidden. "Daniel... are you saying that you want to write back to him? Is that it?" Daniel relaxed with a tiny smile, his arms dropping to hold the papers in front of his thighs.

"He'd have to give out our address," Jane hedged, now visibly nervous. Daniel's eyes widened as he realized he might not get what he wanted.

"What if this is just a trick?" Bill added, his suspicion up a notch. Tears welled up in the light blue eyes of the child standing in the middle of the room.

"The letter does have a Minneapolis postmark," Miss Walker interjected. "Whoever wrote this isn't even in the state."

Bill Michaels finally noticed the distressed look on his foster son's face. "Oh, gees, we've nearly got him crying," he said with some remorse. "Does it really mean that much to you?" he finally aimed at the boy.

Daniel just nodded, struggling to keep his tears from spilling as he hugged the letter fiercely to his chest.

"I think if you keep track of Daniel's behavior before and after receiving any future letters, everything should work out," Donna said soothingly. "This is the most emotionally he's reacted to anything for a long time. I don't think we should let this one go."

Jane nodded. "They're just letters. I'm all right with it if you are, Bill."

Bill sighed, his eyes never leaving the small child and noting the hope that had barely begun to blossom in the orbs that refused to look up from the carpet. "Okay, okay, I'll agree to it. But if he starts showing signs that these letters are upsetting him or being a bad influence, I'm putting a stop to them."

The three adults couldn't help but smile when Daniel's gaze lifted and was bright with happiness. "I'll get you an envelope and a stamp, okay, Daniel?" Jane offered, rising to her feet. The young blond nodded enthusiastically and followed the woman out of the room, dashing upstairs as soon as he had his prizes. He never saw the bemused looks that lingered after him.

* * *

Jack O'Neill frowned as he brushed at an imagined spot of dirt on his black dress slacks. He stood on the porch of the Michaels' family in a brisk, crisp October wind, trying to get up the courage to ring the doorbell. Daniel wouldn't be home for another half hour, forty-five minutes, and he had a feeling he'd need every second of the time. "For crying out loud," he muttered to himself before finally reaching out and pressing the button. "It won't get done if I just stand here."

A few moments later the door opened to reveal a lean, five-foot-eight woman with jet black hair pulled back into a ponytail and light green eyes awash with curiosity. "Hello," she greeted her unexpected visitor. "How can I help you?"

Jack took a deep breath before answering. "Are you Mrs. Jane Michaels?"

"Yes, I am. Is there something I can do for you?"

"My name is Jack O'Neill. I've been writing to Daniel for the last four months. Can I talk to you about something?"

The woman looked up at the six-foot tall teenager warily, relaxing slightly after a long moment when she didn't see anything too threatening in his stance. "I probably shouldn't do this, but come in. We can talk in the kitchen." She gestured him inside, closed the door, then led him to the aforementioned room. "Is there something you wanted with Daniel? He won't be home for at least a half hour," Jane said almost defensively, standing across the table from her visitor gripping the back of a chair with almost-white knuckles.

Jack sighed. "I wanted to talk to you before Daniel got home, actually. I'm here in New York with my mother for the weekend. She's an artist, and she's opening a new exhibit at one of the museums tonight. I wanted to ask you if Daniel could come with us to dinner and then the opening. We'd have him back whenever you wanted."

The pale green eyes widened in shock. "I... I don't know..."

"It's not the Museum of Art, I made sure of that."

"That's not it..."

"Except for the cab ride over to the hotel, my mom would be with us the whole time. I've got the number in my pocket if you want to call her and double check." Jack frowned as he began to dig in his front pockets, then switched to his fall jacket.

"Hold it," Jane said, practically desperate to get control of the conversation. This young man was answering questions it hadn't even occurred to her to ask yet. Jack froze, his right hand halfway out of his now-open coat's breast pocket, slip of paper in hand. "Why didn't you tell Daniel you were coming?"

Brown eyes blinked. "Well, I wasn't a hundred percent sure I'd be able to come. My mom's schedule can get kind of hectic, especially when she's got a big show like this coming up. She's got another exhibit up at a museum in Chicago that's been running for a while, so she wasn't sure she was going to be able to make the opening. She made up her mind about two weeks ago."

Now that Jack was the one answering questions Jane felt a little better. "Once you knew, why didn't you say anything to Daniel?"

"There was the whole school thing to worry about. I'm a senior in high school, and I had to miss a few days to come out here." Jack smiled ruefully. "I have to admit that's not the main reason, though."

Panic flared up again in the flabbergasted woman. "Oh? And what was that?"

The young man's smile became a wide grin. "I wanted to surprise him. And even more importantly, I wanted to ask you and your husband if Daniel could come along. But if you decided you weren't comfortable with that, I didn't want him to be disappointed. I'd just visit for a while and go, like I was just taking advantage of my trip here to see him." His expression faded back down to a gentle smile. "I really wanted to see him again. Amazing as it sounds, that kid really made a major impression on me. It's not too often you run across a six-year-old who's a certified genius."

"Genius?" Jane asked, bewildered. Daniel hadn't shown any inclinations toward an exceptional intelligence as far as she knew.

"You didn't know?" Jack asked, a bit shocked. How could anyone miss that?

"I don't think you understand his situation," Jane said softly. She looked with new eyes on this tall, lanky teenager who had gone so far out of his way for the sake of a boy he hadn't seen in three years. He obviously did care as much as the continued stream of letters suggested he did. She didn't even want to try to guess what kind of connection had taken place between the two children so long ago; all she needed to know was that it had. And that knowledge let her smile and answer Jack's request. "By the way, yes."

Jack blinked in surprise again. "Yes, what?"

Jane laughed. "Yes, Daniel can go with you tonight. I think it will probably be good for him."

Before Jack could respond, the sound of the front door opening and closing barely managed to reach the kitchen's occupants. Not long after, soft footsteps could be heard heading up the stairs Jack had noticed on his way through the foyer. He gave Jane a questioning look.

"Daniel's home. I forgot he always gets home a little sooner on Fridays; school gets out twenty minutes earlier since the kids don't have study time." She smiled at the confusion she saw on her visitor's face. "Daniel's school sets aside the last twenty minutes for the kids to unwind and do any homework they might have, so that they can ask the teacher any questions. They don't bother on Fridays."

The short conversation covered the sound of Daniel's return to the ground floor of the house and subsequent entry into the kitchen. Both previous occupants turned to face the newcomer when he froze in his tracks. Bright blue eyes darted back and forth between his foster mother and the visitor, his brain trying to figure out just who this was. Something was familiar about the tall young man, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Jack was speechless when he saw his little friend come into the kitchen. Daniel had grown another inch since the last time he'd seen an image of the kid, and his hair had darkened a shade closer to brown instead of the golden blond he remembered from the museum in Minneapolis, but that wasn't what struck him the most. No, that was the sense that Daniel was almost completely closed off from the world around him. Jack remembered the open, happy delight Daniel had taken in showing him the details of the different exhibits as he was led through the impromptu tour, a wide-eyed wonder in the mysteries the world concealed and a burgeoning desire to uncover them for all to see. Now the child had withdrawn from that, and it was almost painful for Jack to witness. He only hoped he could make some kind of difference.

Daniel saw the spark of compassion that flared in the soft brown eyes that were eagerly taking him in, and everything clicked. His eyes grew even wider and he took an involuntary step forward. "Jack?" he whispered incredulously. "Jack?"

"Hey, Daniel," Jack replied softly with a gentle smile. "I was just in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop by. I hope that's all right."

Daniel's response was not with words. The young boy dashed forward and threw his arms around the teenager's waist, burying his face in the leanly muscular chest above it. He started muttering something over and over, the sound muffled in a white dress shirt.

Jack leaned his head down as he rested his hands on the child's shoulders, his eyes widening when he made out what was being said. Daniel was saying thank you over and over again like a mantra, his tone fervent and sincere. "I guess it is," the older boy murmured, returning the embrace.

Jane watched with misty eyes as the young charge she and her husband had taken into their home took the first steps toward opening up and recovering from his grief. This young man who had shown up suddenly on her doorstep had proven to be wonderful for the child wrapped around his waist. And she had nearly gone along with her husband's instincts and prevented the exchange of letters that brought it all about. "What time is your mother expecting you back, Jack?" she asked, hoping she'd given them both enough time.

"Huh? Oh, she said something about getting back between four and four-thirty," Jack replied after he'd brought his head up. "That should give us enough time to get to the restaurant."

Daniel pulled back and looked back and forth between Jack and Jane. "Jack?" he asked quietly, obviously confused. "Are you going so soon?"

Jack grinned. "Yeah, actually. I'm in New York with my mom for the opening of her new exhibit and we're going to dinner first." He waited a beat, shooting a quick glance toward the woman who was still quietly watching the whole scene. "So I suppose you'd better get ready. I got a dose of impatience from both my parents."

"What do you mean?" the boy asked, even more confused than before.

"I came here early to ask Mrs. Michaels if you could come with us tonight. She said you could. So I guess you should get ready to go to my mom's art exhibit." Jack's grin got even wider.

Daniel started to smile. "I can go with you tonight?"

"Actually, Daniel," Jane jumped in, having made an impulse decision, "why don't you throw an overnight bag together? I'm sure Jack would love to spend as much time with you as he can since he'll only be here for the weekend."

Both boys looked at her in complete shock. "Are you sure?" Jack asked.

"Of course I'm sure," the black-haired woman replied dismissively. "Go ahead and run up to your room, Daniel, and put on your best outfit for tonight. I'll send Jack up in just a minute."

There was a slight delay as Daniel finished absorbing the new information, then he smiled shyly at his foster mother and hurried up to the second floor.

Once he was gone Jack gave Jane a contemplative look. "Why did you do that?" he asked simply.

She let him see the tears in her eyes. "He talked to you."

"What?"

"Those are the first words I have heard Daniel say since he was placed here at the beginning of June. It's been four and a half months, Jack. Not one word. Then you come here out of the blue and he speaks. You've obviously touched his heart, and I don't have the heart to keep him from spending as much time as he can with the person that means the most to him."

"He... he hasn't been talking?" Jack asked, stunned.

Jane shook her head. "From what I understand, he was like this for the first six or so months after he lost his parents. Then, when he started to recover, he was placed in a home where he was physically abused. His social worker removed him from there, but the damage was done. He retreated back into his shell and hasn't poked his head out once." The thin woman smiled and wiped the moisture away from her eyes. "Until today, that is. Don't underestimate what you mean to him, Jack. When Bill and I considered not letting Daniel give out our address to who we saw as a complete stranger, he was nearly heartbroken. I saw it in his eyes. Bill still isn't a hundred percent sure if it was the right thing to do, but I have no regrets. Especially now." She couldn't help but laugh at the flabbergasted look on the teenager's face. "You seem so surprised. So when are you leaving? Sunday afternoon?"

Jack nodded as he picked his jaw up off the floor. "Uh, yeah. Our plane leaves at three."

"Then why don't you and your mother come over about ten with Daniel and have brunch with us before you go? It'll give Bill a chance to meet you."

"Um, sure. I think my mom will go for that. Oh, that reminds me..." Jack pulled out the piece of paper he'd started to retrieve earlier and handed it to the woman across the table from him. "That's our number at the hotel and the number of the museum. I'm not completely sure where we're eating so I didn't give you the number for the restaurant." He paused for a second after Jane had taken the slip. "I have no idea where we'll be tomorrow or what we'll be doing."

"Well, I did surprise you. Daniel knows our phone number. If anything happens, call us. Otherwise we can always leave you a message at the front desk of the hotel. I don't think anything's going to happen. Now you should probably go upstairs and help Daniel finish his packing. Your mother will be expecting you soon." Jane smiled at him kindly.

Jack met her gaze with a serious one of his own just before he left the kitchen. "I'm glad Daniel's staying with you. I was worried about him." He turned and walked away before she could respond.

"I still am," Jane murmured to the empty room. "But not with you." She went to the counter and packed up the plate of cookies she'd had ready for Daniel, then waited for the two boys to come back down and start their weekend. She was sure it would be a time they would both treasure for the rest of their lives.

* * *

The next day, Jack and Daniel stood on the observation deck of the Empire State Building looking off into the distance, lost in their thoughts. "I never said thank you for your letters," Daniel finally said quietly, his words barely audible over the wind the blew fiercely at that altitude.

"You never had to," Jack replied, a small smile forming on his features as he continued to look out over the city. "You wrote back; that was enough."

"No, I don't think so. I really can't thank you enough, Jack. Your letters make me feel really good. I look forward to every one of them."

The teenager turned his head and met the intense, serious blue gaze that was fixed on his face. This was no time to blow off his emotions, no matter how difficult it was not to. "You are very welcome, Daniel," Jack said solemnly. "As weird as it seems, you've become one of my good friends. I look forward to your letters, too."

At that, Daniel smiled, a true, transfiguring lightening of his features, an expression that reached Jack's soul as he watched it form. The younger boy moved closer to his almost adult friend, and without thinking about it, the young man wrapped an affectionate arm around the shorter boy's shoulders. They stood that way for a long time, communicating without words and deepening their friendship as they once again gazed out onto a world that wasn't quite as daunting with the knowledge that the other one was there.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

* * *

"Dear Jack,

"You'll notice my new return address on the envelope (I'll still put it at the end of the letter just in case). I was placed back in the orphanage for a while until my social worker could find me another family, which is where I am now. I guess Mrs. Stephens didn't want to deal with me anymore. That's what she said, anyway, when she called Miss Walker and demanded she get me out of her house. What am I doing wrong, Jack? I don't talk very much, except sometimes with the younger kids, and I do my best to be as quiet as I can otherwise. I don't mean to get lost in my books. There's just so much information there, and some of the novels are so captivating. But I always get my chores done, even if I sometimes have to be reminded that they need to be done. Maybe I don't do them well enough. I'll have to try even harder here with my new foster family.

"Congratulations on being accepted to the Air Force Academy. I always knew you could make it if you tried. Now you'll get to fly the best planes, just like you always wanted. Are your parents and siblings proud? They should be. I know I am.

"I did a little research and I found out you can get your degree there just like at any other college. Do you know what you want to major in? Are you going to go for a graduate degree? If you are, do you know what you want to get it in? I know you can do whatever you set your mind to; you're just really good at hiding how smart you are. You never have told me why you think you need to do that. One of these days you'll have to. I really want to know.

"I'm glad I'm going to be able to get used to the Rogers before I have to go back to school. Now that all the testing that Mrs. Michaels insisted the school do for me is over, they want me to skip two grades ahead. Well, three really, since they had me placed a year behind where I guess I should have been for my age. Public school is so much different than learning at home. I'm still not always sure what I can and can't say in class, so I try not to say anything at all.

"Thinking of things I still don't understand, I still can't believe Mr. Michaels was so jealous of you. Mrs. Michaels always told me it was okay if I didn't want to talk to them yet, but Mr. Michaels always said if I could talk to you, I could talk to them. And I'd always hear banging when I'd run upstairs to my room. I know I never told you all this before, but Mr. Michaels made me nervous, and I was afraid he'd come into my room and read my letters over my shoulder. He did that a lot, and then ask me why they weren't good enough to say things to. I just couldn't, Jack. Mr. Michaels always seemed so angry with me. Mrs. Michaels was so nice, especially after your visit. I wish I could have been braver with her, but I didn't get a lot of time alone with her. Maybe I'll write a letter to her and tell her all the things I always wanted to say. Do you think she'd like that, Jack? She seemed sad when I left right after the new year, and I don't want to make her sad again by making her think of sad things.

"I have to go now, Jack. Mrs. Rogers just came to the door and said dinner was ready. I'll put this letter in the mailbox tomorrow when I get the chance. I can't wait to get your next letter.

"Your friend,

"Daniel"

* * *

"Dear Jack,

"Thank you so very much for keeping me updated on how Daniel's doing. I really appreciate it. I understand your concern for him, and I share it. I wish I could have done more for him, but Bill just... wasn't right for him.

"Because you asked - for the hundredth time, I'd be willing to bet - I'll try to explain what happened over the Christmas holiday. As Daniel told you, Bill had been pushing him, trying to get him to talk to us like he did with you. I knew Daniel wasn't ready for that; he'd already formed a bond with you before the accident. Bill couldn't accept that. I think he had this notion in his mind when we agreed to become foster parents that he'd be able to save the children that would come to live with us, maybe even adopt one or two of them. He wanted to be the one that would heal their wounds, straighten out their lives, make everything right for them. He saw Daniel as the perfect opportunity to prove what he'd be able to do.

"Oh, Jack, I wish I could have seen how things were going to turn out! Bill had been warned that Daniel wasn't talking - but that was just grief. We'd shower him with love and affection and everything would be as right as rain by Christmas. He'd been warned that Daniel still wasn't adjusted to life in the United States - but that was nothing to worry about. This was a little boy, and all that needed to be done was to expose him to cars and sports and eventually girls and Daniel would fit right in. He'd been warned that Daniel wasn't performing well in school - but, again, that was nothing. As long as Daniel passed it would be good enough, and Bill would have all the more time to expose him to cars, sports, etc. I tried to tell him that we needed to take things slowly with Daniel, be willing to try a few different approaches and find the one that would work best. But what did I know? I'm just a woman, and I supposedly have no idea how the male brain works.

"To make a long story short, Bill's plan didn't work. At first he thought it was just going to take a little longer to get through to Daniel. He was really starting to get frustrated, though. He'd been worried when Miss Walker brought your letter to Daniel, true, but in the end I think what made him hesitate like he did was how Daniel's eyes sparkled as he clasped that envelope to his chest, even through his confusion, when he thought we'd take it away. He'd never reacted to anything we did like that. Don't get me wrong; Daniel would smile to show his appreciation or something similar. But the smile never reached his eyes. Then there he was gripping your letter like a lifeline...

"And to cap things off, Bill found out Daniel talked to you during your visit. He saw how happy Daniel was when you and your mother stopped by for brunch. And he saw how good you were with Daniel. His place as Daniel's 'savior' had been usurped, and he didn't want to admit it. So he pushed. Invaded Daniel's privacy, sent the boy running to his room with outrageous demands that he treat us like he treated you. I do believe his heart was in the right place when this all began, but after Christmas morning, I find myself questioning my husband.

"Daniel gave me a hug and a true smile after he'd carefully torn the wrapping paper from the empty journal I'd gotten for him from both Bill and myself. When he turned to do the same to Bill, my husband gripped Daniel's shoulders tightly, too tightly, and told him he wanted to hear the words, that it didn't mean anything without the words. After a moment of complete and utter shock, I got Daniel away - he immediately ran upstairs to his room - and demanded to know what Bill was thinking, scaring Daniel like that. My God, Jack, Bill told me that we couldn't coddle him anymore, that Daniel had had more than enough time to wallow in self-pity. That's when I realized Daniel was no longer safe in our home. I called Miss Walker and asked to meet with her the next day. When we discussed the situation, we decided that it would be best to move Daniel as soon as possible.

"So, after the New Year, Daniel left my home. When he gave me a tight hug good bye, I whispered that I would miss him, but this was for the best, even as I fought not to cry. When I pulled back he looked me right in the eyes - it suddenly hit me that Daniel has a soul much older than his body - wiped away the few tears that had escaped down my cheeks, and gave me a shaky smile of understanding. I love him, Jack. Daniel is such a special child, and he deserves so much more than he's gotten. I can only be grateful he has someone like you.

"Do what you can to make him understand these things life throws at him are not his fault. Tell him I would be more than happy to hear from him. And both of you take care of yourselves and each other. You have something special, I can tell. You've both made my life brighter, and I can't thank you enough.

"Sincerely,

"Jane Michaels"

* * *

"Dear Daniel,

"I don't know how long this letter's going to be; I'm taking a break from helping my dad pack my things up to put into storage for when I leave for Colorado Springs in a couple of days. You know, I never realized just how much crap I had until now. What exactly did I need with all this stuff?

"Anyway, it's great to hear how well things are going for you with the Rogers. They sound like a great family, and you seem to be fitting in well. I'm also glad you decided to write to Mrs. Michaels. I know she really cares about you, and your letter will mean a lot to her.

"You know what's interesting? My mom showed up last week and begged me not to go to the Air Force Academy. She was scared for me. Now I don't really buy into this one, but she says she saw me facing incredible dangers and couldn't be sure I'd survive them. I told her at least I'd survive some of them. I can't face more than one if that one kills me, now can I? She didn't like that logic and said that death would be my companion far more than I would know how to deal with. My dad told her she was overreacting. She finally gave me a huge hug and told me I'd do what I needed to do, and she would always be there for me when I needed her. And then she looked me in the eye and said that I had to hold on to you. If I didn't, things would be even worse. I love my mom, don't get me wrong, but there are times when she's just weird.

"Mom didn't really help my nerves any. I'm a little anxious about this move. Definitely still very excited, but a little anxious. I know we moved when I was seven, but I've never been out on my own before. I can handle it though, so don't worry about me. My next letter probably won't be until I settle into a routine and figure out what's going on out there. But I know my address now, so I'll add it at the bottom. Keep writing me. I'll be sure to answer your questions when I write next. The most important thing for you to remember, though, is this: no matter when I write, know that I will be thinking of you all the time. You're too good a friend for me to do anything else.

"Okay, enough mushy stuff. I've got to get back to work. I'll talk to you soon.

"Your friend,

"Jack"

* * *

Jack flopped onto his father's couch with a wide grin, the sounds of pots and pans clattering in the kitchen amidst a three-way discussion between his father, sister, and brother Chris telling the tale of Thanksgiving dinner in the making. He let himself slouch excessively, a wide grin firmly in place. "Well, you seem incredibly happy," his brother Gabriel said from the recliner, the football game quietly being ignored on the television.

"I'm not at school. That makes all the difference," Jack replied, waggling his eyebrows.

"So how are things going at the Academy? Any different from a regular college?"

Jack gave his older brother an incredulous look. "Of course, dummy. It's a military school."

Gabriel sighed. "So how is it different?"

"It's pretty regimented, that's the main difference I guess," Jack answered with a small shrug. "A bunch of extra rules and regulations and stuff like that. Could we talk about something else? I want to enjoy my vacation." He took a long drink from his bottle of Pepsi. "By the way, things are going fine. I'm on the hockey team."

The older sibling laughed. "I should have guessed that would happen. You've always been hooked on that."

"What's the score?" a voice called out from the kitchen.

"Detroit hasn't scored yet," Jack yelled back after a quick glance at the TV screen.

"God damn it."

"I thought you were a Vikings fan, Dad," Gabriel said with a chuckle.

"The Vikings aren't playing. And I don't like the Rams."

A moment later, a tall brunette with her shoulder length hair pulled back in a ponytail walked quickly out of the other room. "I'm not going to help if all you're going to do is gripe about football, Dad," she called back over her shoulder.

"I didn't want your help anyway," was the haughty response.

The woman rolled her eyes then looked at the two males ensconced in the living room. "Well, don't you two look comfortable? I suppose it never occurred to either of you that we could have used some help in there?"

Jack and Gabriel shared a look. "Oh, it occurred to us," the younger of the two replied, smirking.

"You can only fit so many people in the kitchen you know," Gabriel added, fighting back a grin.

"You two are awful." She stormed over to the couch and flopped down next to Jack. "I didn't see you when I got here. Jet lag?"

Jack shook his head. "Purposefully oversleeping. It's a luxury I don't plan on taking for granted while I'm home."

His sister smiled. "Oh, come on. You haven't ever overslept at school?"

The young man's expression turned serious. "No. I can't afford to. I want to take the advanced pilot courses, and a spotless record will do nothing but help me get there. The Academy isn't high school, Beth. There really isn't any leeway. You either do things their way or you get out."

Beth's smile faltered. "You're really taking this seriously, aren't you?"

"This is what I really want. And I'll do whatever it takes to get it."

"I suppose this is something else we have the young Daniel Jackson to thank for," Chris said with a knowing grin as he came out of the kitchen.

"Maybe." Jack's brown gaze took in the flour-spotted form of the younger of his two brothers. "Something explode in there?"

Chris looked down at himself. "Biscuits aren't easy. And I was distracted."

Beth laughed. "So was I. I just decided not to put up with it anymore."

"Says you. Dinner's just about finished. We didn't need you anymore."

As the boys laughed and Beth stuck her tongue out, the phone rang. Chris moved quickly to answer it. "Hello, O'Neill's." He listened for a moment. "Sure. Hold on a second." He covered the receiver and looked toward the couch. "Hey, Jack. It's for you. Sounds like a kid."

Jack's brows furrowed in confusion. "A kid?" He managed to struggle to his feet and take the phone from his brother. Then he waited for Chris to take his place on the couch before putting it up to his ear. "Hello?"

"Jack? Is that you?"

"Daniel?" Jack blinked and just barely noticed his siblings take a greater interest in the conversation.

"Yeah, it's me." Jack could hear the smile in the younger boy's voice. "I have some really good news to tell you and I didn't want to wait to exchange letters to know what you thought."

The first-year cadet gave a short laugh. "I'd say that's a good enough reason to call, although you don't really need a reason. What's your news?"

There was a short pause as the child on the other end of the line took a deep breath. "The Rogers want to adopt me, Jack. They want me."

Jack blinked again then picked his jaw up off the ground. "They do? That... that's great news, Daniel! When's it going to happen?"

"They said they had just started the paperwork, so it would be a while yet. But they're hoping that by this time next year everything will be in place. Oh, Jack, it's so wonderful! They really want me!"

"They'd have to be brain dead not to want you, Daniel." Out of the corner of his eye, Jack could see his brothers and sister share a startled look at his gentle tone. "What did Miss Walker have to say, do you know?"

"I guess she's pretty excited about it. Mrs. Rogers said that Miss Walker was hoping they'd want to take the next step with me. I'm so excited, Jack. Ever since Nick..." Daniel's voice trailed off sharply.

Jack frowned. "Daniel? Who's Nick? I don't think you've mentioned him before." If this was the guy that abused Daniel before he went to live with the Michaels, Jack was going to hunt him down and give him a dose of his own medicine.

There was a long pause. Jack would have said something, but he had a feeling this was a subject he couldn't push Daniel about. "Nick's my grandfather. Nicholas Ballard. He's an archaeologist. He spends a lot of time in Central America on digs there." The volume was barely enough to make it through the connection.

"Your mom's dad?" Jack asked gently.

"Yeah." Jack could hear Daniel fighting back tears and felt like a first-class heel for keeping the topic alive. Why hadn't he just let Daniel change the subject? "I didn't see him very often before... the accident. Then he said he was too busy with his work to take me. That's when they put me in my first foster home; I was in an orphanage before that while they tried to reach him. He didn't want me."

The eighteen-year-old's jaw clenched as fought back the wave of anger that threatened to overwhelm him. Daniel still had a living relative and was stuck in foster care? How wrong was that?

Daniel continued before Jack could formulate any kind of response. "Nick still writes me every now and again. He tried to remember my birthday. The letter was pretty late, but he did try. I just wish he would have wanted me."

Jack cleared his throat - and the random homicidal thoughts running around in his head - and managed to maintain a calm, rational tone. "Daniel, it's not your fault about Nick. He's an idiot for not wanting you. And now you're with a family that does want you. You're going to have a second mom and dad that love you, and little brother and sister that love you, too. That's what's important right now, Daniel. You have to remember that."

There were a couple of sniffs before Daniel replied. "I know, Jack. It still hurts, that's all."

"I know, Danny. I know. And if I could do something to take that hurt away, I would. You just need to focus on what you have. Everything else will get better with time."

"I love you, Jack."

Jack's breath caught at the soft, candid admission. He replied in the only way he could, his shock making it easier than it would have been otherwise. "I love you, too, Daniel. Don't ever forget that, okay?"

"Never, Jack. I'll never forget. You can't forget either."

"I won't. I promise I won't."

The next moment Jack jumped about five feet in the air as his father tossed open the door to the kitchen and emerged carrying a bowl full of mashed potatoes. "You kids get your lazy butts in there and bring out the rest of the dinner. I'm not as young as I used to be you know."

"Jack? Did I interrupt your Thanksgiving dinner?" Daniel sounded guilty and embarrassed.

Jack shook his head, not thinking that his friend couldn't see the motion. "No, no, don't worry about it. My dad just got done with dinner. And he doesn't know how to give a guy some warning he's coming out with it, either." His last statement was aimed just as much at the man with the reddish brown hair peppered with grey as it was at the boy on the other end of the line. His dad just grinned and disappeared back into the kitchen.

Daniel laughed. "Your family sounds like fun, Jack."

"They're also nosy," he said with a glare at his siblings as they passed him to do as their father requested.

"But they love you," Daniel said matter-of-factly.

Jack couldn't help but smile. Fortunately the rest of his family was out of the room. "Yeah, they do. And just think - now you get the same kind of deal. I'm really happy for you, Daniel. It sounds like you've found a great home with the Rogers."

"I have, haven't I? I guess I have a lot more to be thankful for this year. I said my thanks for you last year, and now I get to add my new family. It feels really, really good."

Jack was surprised at the warm, fuzzy feeling he got at Daniel's words. "I'm thankful for you, too, Daniel. And I suppose I should get going, let you get back to that family of yours. Then I can get my dad back for that little stunt of his."

There was another laugh from the other end. "You're my family, too, Jack. But I wouldn't want to get in the way of your revenge. Tell me about it later, okay?"

Jack grinned. "You bet. And I want to hear all the details about what's going on with you, too. I'm looking forward to that next letter."

"Me too. Talk to you soon, Jack. Good bye."

"Bye, Daniel." Jack hung up the phone and gave it a satisfied little grin before heading off to take care of his promised revenge. It looked like everything was falling into place for his little friend - maybe not so little anymore - and that made his world that much better.

* * *

"Dear Jack,

"I sent this to your dad's house because I figured you'd be home for Christmas break before it would get to you, and I really wanted you to know this before you went back to Colorado. It looks like I'll be moving again; I'll put the address at the end of the letter. Mr. Rogers got the position he was trying for as a Professor of History at the California State University in Sacramento, and everything is in place for the move. We'll be living in Wheatland, a small town about thirty miles north where Mrs. Rogers is going to be a substitute teacher at the elementary school.

"I know you have to be wondering how I can be moving to California when I'm a ward of the state of New York. I wondered too. I guess, since the paperwork has been started for my adoption, it's considered in my best interest to transfer me to the California Department of Social Services and let them complete the process of my adoption. Miss Walker explained it to me. I'm just glad that the move won't stop the Rogers from being able to keep me.

"Dalton will be in the second grade at the school where Mrs. Rogers is going to teach while Laura goes to day care, and I'll be in seventh grade at the Bear River Middle School. I had to take another bunch of tests to prove to the people in California that I belong in that grade. It was annoying. Why couldn't they just take the results from all the tests I took before the summer?

"Did you know that Wheatland is really close to Beale Air Force Base? I thought that was interesting when I found that out. It was kind of exciting to think you might get stationed there when you get done at the Academy. I'd love to be able to live that close to you. Of course, that'll be a few years yet, so we'll have to see.

"I've been working on my Russian while I still have a chance. Mr. Stepanov has been teaching me since I moved in with the Rogers. He owns the small grocery store just down the street from my school, and I go in every day after class to talk with him. The second day I was there, I used one of the few phrases I knew in Russian, a simple greeting one of the temporary workers on one of my parents' digs taught me, and he was so delighted to hear a child use his native tongue he insisted I learn more. How could I refuse? Besides, I was more than happy to learn. Languages fascinate me, and they make me feel closer to my mom. She was fluent in seven different languages, and could read another three. That doesn't count the four ancient scripts she could decipher. My dad always said she saved him so much money on translation work. I still miss them.

"I'll be the new kid one more time when the spring semester starts, but hopefully this will be the last time. I'm really looking forward to making some friends. I never felt comfortable doing that before, since I never knew when I'd be leaving, but now I have a chance. I'll finally have a real home, and I'll get a chance to really understand the culture and what's expected of me. I can't wait, Jack.

"I'll wrap this up now. You'll find a little something I drew for you in the envelope with this letter. I hope you like it. It's supposed to be a full moon over the Great Pyramid, just like I remember from when I was there. The image just strikes a deep chord in me, I can't say why. I thought you'd like it, too.

"Merry Christmas, Jack, to my brother by choice.

"Your friend,

"Daniel"

* * *

Five months later, Paul and Connie Rogers sat together in their living room sharing a smile as their four-year-old daughter Laura ran up the stairs shouting, "Daniel! You have a letter fum Jack!" and waving the envelope in her pudgy little hand.

"She really loves him," Paul said with a sigh, holding an envelope of his own.

"It's nice to see," Connie agreed. She gestured to the piece of mail her husband held. "Who's that from?"

"Nicholas Ballard."

Connie gasped. "Another letter? What does he want this time? Doesn't he understand that he can't legally stop us from adopting Daniel?"

Paul nodded. "I don't think he's worried about legally." He handed the letter to his wife. "Read it."

The slim brunette did as requested, her eyebrows furrowing deeper and deeper as she reached the end. "Paul, he's threatening us."

"But not overtly. Unless Daniel disappears I don't think anyone else would read anything into that."

"You don't think he'd kidnap Daniel, do you?"

Paul shook his head. "That would be stupid, and Nicholas Ballard is anything but stupid. But I don't recognize the name of this judge."

"And what did he mean that we wouldn't be taking Daniel with us when we move? We're not moving any time soon." Connie paused and looked closely at the frowning man seated next to her. "We aren't moving, are we?" she asked suspiciously.

"Dean Myers called me in to see him this afternoon, Con. They've decided to give the full professorship to a Doctor James Burnett from UCLA, and they won't have an assistant professor position open next fall. Since I wasn't scheduled to take a class for the summer session, I'm done at California State at the end of the semester." The man's eyes were filled with hurt and regret.

"Oh, no, Paul, no. What are we going to do? The state will never go through with the adoption without your steady income. I don't work enough as a substitute." Tears began to spill down Connie's cheeks.

Paul reached out and wiped the moisture away while fighting his own. "I know. Which brings me to the second part of what Dean Myers had to say. Supposedly they had been considering Doctor Burnett for a while, so the dean asked a couple of his friends at some other campuses if they had any positions available in their history departments. Grambling State University in Grambling, Louisiana was the only one available on such short notice."

Connie blinked. "Louisiana? They expect you to just pick up and move to Louisiana?"

Her husband gave her a somewhat bitter smile. "And here's the capper. The only way the position's open is if I can take on some summer classes starting in late June. We already know there aren't any other schools in this area that are accepting new applicants from my last search. This may be the only chance I have at getting tenure as a professor at a four-year college in the foreseeable future." He let out an explosive breath and fell back on the couch, staring at the ceiling. "I have a feeling that if I did a little research I'd find that Dean Myers and Doctor James Burnett are somehow connected to Nicholas Ballard. And this is just a warning. If I don't take my exit gracefully, I may never find another job in my chosen field again."

Connie looked back down at the letter she still held. "'Just a reminder to not look a gift horse in the mouth,'" she read aloud. "'Good luck, and say hello to Judge Byron Sanford for me. And I wouldn't expect to take Daniel with you when you move.'" She glanced at the man on her right. "Why wouldn't we be able to take Daniel with us? Can't we just make the same arrangements we did when we moved out here?"

"Louisiana would have to agree to it, and if Ballard's gone to so much trouble to send me there, there has to be something in it for him."

"Judge Sanford."

"That's my guess."

"So... we're just going to roll over and take it? All because a man who can't be bothered to care for his own grandson refuses to see the boy a permanent part of a family that doesn't include his daughter? This isn't right, Paul!"

Paul shook his head as he raised it to look the woman he'd pledged his life to in the eyes. "No, it's not," he said quietly. "But do we have the right to make Dalton and Laura suffer for our pride? Life will be incredibly hard if I get stalled in my career, and either way we won't get to keep Daniel. You said it yourself. If I lose my job without another one to back it up the state won't let the adoption go through."

Tears flowed freely once again down Connie's face. "He'll have to go back into the foster care system, and because he's as old as he is, and gifted to boot, he may never find another family that's willing to adopt him."

Paul let his head fall back once more, his eyes closing. "I know. It breaks my heart. But I can't let the rest of my family suffer. Daniel wouldn't want that. And he'll find another good family to take care of him."

"You're talking like it's a done deal," Connie accused.

"That's because it is. I told Dean Myers I'd take the Grambling position. And I called Daniel's social worker from my office right afterward and explained the situation. She said to give it a try with Social Services in Louisiana, but the short amount of time since our last move and change of placement wouldn't be in our favor. I should be hearing back from the people in Grambling about Daniel in the next couple of days."

"How in the world are we going to explain this to Daniel?" Connie stared at her husband with wide, stricken eyes, her heart already breaking for the devastation she knew this news was going to cause the quiet young boy she'd taken into her heart as well as her home.

"We'll find a way, Con. We'll find a way."


	4. Chapter 4

People have been asking when Sam was going to make her appearance... You can't say I don't answer requests.: ) Thanks to everyone who's left reviews for the previous chapters!

* * *

Chapter Four 

Summer in Wheatland that year went by in a blur for Daniel. The foster family he'd been placed with after the Rogers left for Louisiana was nice enough, but the boy didn't have the heart to make the effort to try to connect with them. He'd been so close. He realized that the Rogers hadn't wanted to leave him behind - he'd been in the courtroom when it had been decided that another move so soon after the one that brought him to California wouldn't be in his best interests, only a previous threat to have him escorted from the room if he made another protest keeping him quiet - but still couldn't figure out why he wasn't allowed to keep the people he cared most about. He supposed he should just be happy the Rogers hadn't died. That would have just been too much to handle.

The only thing keeping Daniel in anything resembling good spirits was the fact that Jack wrote twice a week, letters filled with subtle encouragement and funny little stories describing the antics of the cadets after their more abbreviated break. Jack O'Neill had become the one constant in an otherwise ever-changing world. The only thing that would make it better was if he lived closer to the eleven-year-old. But since he didn't, Daniel was determined to make it on his own. He wouldn't depend on anyone... well, anyone but Jack. And since he couldn't be there, Daniel would do it alone.

When school started again in the fall, Daniel found himself in the same social situation he'd been in the semester before. He was too advanced for the kids his own age yet considered too young to really connect with the kids in his class, even as part of the advanced track. More and more, books made up his world. He started to teach himself a couple of new languages, expanding his repertoire to thirteen. He silently attended class, his desk in the front corner of each class a world unto itself.

For whatever reason - Daniel chose not to examine things too closely - the young man still found himself caring about what went on around him, even if he didn't choose to get involved. And so it was he noticed the new girl that walked into his study hall just before lunch one day in late October. She was a little taller than most of the other girls in eighth grade, with long pale blonde hair and serious blue-grey eyes, and she wore a simple grey sweater and black dress slacks with a small duffle bag slung over her shoulder decorated by an embroidered Air Force logo. Mrs. Wilkins seated her in the empty desk next to Daniel, who finally looked up from his book on recent theories about the origins of the pyramids at the sound of the new girl putting her bag in the basket beneath her seat. He silently looked her over and felt an odd kinship with her - he figured it had something to do with the aura of sorrow she seemed to wrap herself in like a shroud.

Whatever it was, Daniel found himself faced with the urge to try to get to know this sad young lady better. However, he'd missed her introduction. He used his bookmark to mark his page to consider the problem, then retrieved one of his notebooks and wrote a short note:

"Hello.

"My name is Daniel Jackson, and I wanted to welcome you to Bear River Middle School and Wheatland. I just moved here myself in January, so I understand how it feels to be the new kid.

"If you ever want to talk or anything, let me know. We new kids need to stick together. Lunch is right after study hall, and I would be honored to have you sit with me. You don't have to, I won't mind. But the offer's there.

"I have English, Science, and Math in the afternoon. Maybe we'll have some more classes together. I hope so.

"I'm sorry to say I was reading and missed Mrs. Wilkins introducing you. I'd really like to know your name. But like I said before, if you don't want to tell me, that's okay. I understand. It's overwhelming to come in to a new school, especially in the middle of the day, and be expected to just fit in and know what's going on. I've done that before, and it's not fun at all.

"If you want to, write me back and let me know what you think. Otherwise I guess I'll see you tomorrow if not later in class.

"Sincerely,

"Daniel"

The girl had pulled out a book about the history of the space program by the time Daniel had finished and folded his note. She jumped when the piece of paper accidentally brushed against her hand when Daniel discreetly slipped it onto her desk. She gave the boy a surprised look then opened the note, her eyes widening as she read it. When she finished, the young blonde shot him a shy glance, put the paper into her bag, and pulled out a notebook and pen of her own.

A few minutes later, Daniel, who had returned to his book in deference to his neighbor's privacy, heard the distinctive sound of paper sliding across his desktop. He looked across the aisle and saw the smile the girl wore as she opened her book once again. The young man couldn't help but mirror the expression as he unfolded her response.

"Daniel,

"Thank you for welcoming me. I'm not used to that when I get to a new school. It's nice to know that you understand the feeling - you're right about how overwhelming the first day can be.

"I'd be happy to eat lunch with you. It'll be nice not to have to sit alone. And I have English, Science, and Social Studies this afternoon, so maybe we'll have at least two more classes together. I'm looking forward to Science.

"Could you meet me outside the study hall after this? The secretary that brought me here didn't have a chance to show me around, and I'm not completely sure where the cafeteria is. But if you have to take your books back to your locker or something, I'll understand. I'm sure I can find it on my own and will meet you there instead. Since we're in the front of the class it'll probably be pretty easy to just wait until the others leave and you can tell me then.

"Talk to you later,

"Sam Carter"

Daniel's smile widened as he folded the letter back up and put it in his back pocket. For the first time since the Rogers left he felt good about connecting with someone, taking a chance. He had a feeling this was going to be the start of something wonderful.

* * *

Samantha Carter hurried to get her books together after school got out the Friday before semester finals and Christmas break. She needed to catch Daniel before he left for home to ask him if he wanted to get together to study either that night or some other time during the weekend. The girl paused in the act of zipping up the duffel bag her father had gotten her when she first started kindergarten, the realization that the thought of her friend made her truly smile - and want to smile - for the first time in a long time thoroughly surprising her. After a moment she just gave a little laugh and continued on her way. 

Ever since Daniel had slipped her that first note on her first day at Bear River Middle School, she had found herself continually seeking out his company. Something about the quiet boy soothed her troubled soul, and he made an excellent study partner with the way he constantly challenged the way she thought, his intellect being equal to her own. In fact, she was beginning to think he was smarter than her, not that he'd ever admit it. They spent six out of eight class hours a day together, so she got to see the evidence on a daily basis.

This would be the first time she'd ever asked him to get together with her after school, however. Normally they just came to school early or stayed for a while afterward. Sam had thought about asking Daniel over a number of times over the past couple of weeks, and that day just seemed right. There was no one else she'd connected with at this school, and she had high hopes he'd say yes.

She turned the last corner and paused as she caught sight of her friend putting books into his backpack. Her burgeoning smile froze before it could form completely when she saw Doug Plank lean against the younger boy's locker, slamming it shut. "Takin' home the library, eh, Four Eyes?" she heard him ask clearly. What was going on?

Daniel sighed. "Let me get my jacket, Doug," he replied quietly. It was only then that Sam noticed the silence the confrontation had created.

"Come on, Four Eyes," Doug taunted, leering down from his head and a half advantage in height. "Don't you want to talk to me? Oh, that's right. You don't really talk much, do you? Your voice is as small as the rest of you." The larger child laughed derisively, causing a nervous twitter to ripple through the surrounding crowd. Sam was sure she heard a few more enthusiastic responses in the mix as well.

"I just want to go home. Please move."

Sam had to smile as she started to make her way over to her friend, fully prepared to back him up. There wasn't an ounce of capitulation in the tone, although the words seemed meek enough. Obviously Daniel didn't want to fight, but he wasn't about to let Doug just walk all over him.

The bully leaned in even closer to the smaller boy. "But I don't want you to go, Shrimp. So I guess you're not goin'." The only reason Sam heard the simple words spoken with such a menacing tone was because she'd managed to get a lot closer. Apparently she'd reached Doug's supporters, as nobody on either side of her made any kind of motion or sound of protest.

"What do you want, Doug?" Daniel asked, scowling. Violence was imminent, and still the boy refused to back down. Sam was proud of him.

"I'd ask for your lunch money, but I'm sure you've already used it. So, I think I'll just beat on you for a while for fun. What do you say?" Doug's grin was wicked and filled with malice.

"I'd say that's a lousy plan. How about a game of chess?"

That was the last thing Daniel managed to say before Doug planted a fist in the smaller boy's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. As Daniel curled over reflexively, the bigger boy leaned in next to his ear and whispered, "And that's what you get for being such a know-it-all freak. You had to go and embarrass me in Social Studies this morning, didn't you? Had to show me up in front of the whole class."

"Leave him alone!" Sam cried, dashing into the fray and barreling into the older child, knocking him away from Daniel. She rolled to her feet and moved between Doug and the still-recovering Daniel. "I mean it! Leave him alone!"

"No way, Blondie!" Doug snarled back, furious. "That little piece of crap comes in here, skipping two grades on the way, and makes all the teachers think he's perfect. He sits there all quiet, never sayin' anything unless it's to prove somebody wrong or kiss up. I'm sick of it! He should just go back to school with all the other babies and get it over with!"

Sam gritted her teeth, her eyes twin blue lasers that bore into her opponent as she glared at him. "Daniel doesn't say anything unless he's called on. It's not his fault he knows the answers and the teachers know he does. Maybe if you did your homework and paid attention in class you'd know the answers too."

Doug took a threatening step forward, stopping when it didn't have the intended effect on the angry young blonde between him and his target. Sam never flinched. "He's a baby, and he belongs with the rest of the babies."

"I'm smart enough to be here, Doug. You're going to have to live with that." Sam sensed more than saw Daniel stand and place himself to her right just behind her shoulder. "Sam's right. You should do your homework so you'll know the answers when you're called on in class. Then the teachers can't call on me to correct you, and you won't be embarrassed." The quiet tone was the same as before, firm and unyielding, although now that he was so close to her ear Sam could hear a quiver of fear behind it all.

Fortunately Doug couldn't. "It figures," he sneered, looking down on the both of them. All three antagonists could sense the crowd beginning to back away as they lost interest now that a fight no longer seemed as inevitable. "The two super freaks would stick together. You both belong back with the babies." Finally giving in to his lack of support, Doug gave the two younger students one last threatening scowl and stormed off.

Sam finally turned to face her friend once the bully had completely disappeared from sight. "Daniel? Are you okay? That punch looked pretty vicious."

Daniel sighed and wrapped his arms around his middle, flinching slightly at the contact as his eyes gently closed. "I was hoping you'd never have to see stuff like that."

"You mean this happens on a regular basis?" Sam asked, shocked.

"Not exactly regularly," Daniel refuted, opening his eyes to meet her gaze. "But every now and again Doug or one of his friends gets a little rough."

"How long have they been bullying you?"

"Like this? Since the beginning of the school year. It was pretty much just taunts and insults last semester."

Sam couldn't believe what she was hearing. Daniel sounded so... resigned to it all. She drew herself to her full height, her expression becoming determined. "Grab your stuff, Daniel. I only live a few blocks from here. Let's go to my house and I can make sure you're all right."

Daniel shook his head. "That's okay, Sam. I'll be fine. I'll just go home and take it easy. By Monday it'll be like nothing happened."

"Darn it, Daniel, something did happen. I can live with you not telling a teacher or anything - they might think you did something to provoke it and you'd get in trouble..."

"Or Doug would get in trouble and be even worse next time," Daniel interjected matter-of-factly.

"But Doug might have hurt you," Sam continued like she hadn't been interrupted. "I just want to be sure you're okay, Daniel. I'm worried about you."

The blonde girl didn't understand why Daniel's eyes widened so much at her simple declaration or why he seemed so surprised by the way she felt. She figured he had already known. "Okay, Sam," he whispered, stunned. "If you're sure."

"Of course I'm sure. I wouldn't have asked you if I wasn't. Besides," here the girl smiled widely, "I was going to ask if you wanted to come over tonight or some other time this weekend so we could study together for the finals next week."

Confusion joined the jumble of emotions on the boy's face, making Sam fight to not laugh. "Really?" Daniel asked. "You were really going to ask me over?"

Sam shook her head as her smile turned gentle. "Really, Daniel. In fact, I've been thinking about it for the last two weeks."

A smile finally blossomed on Daniel's features, warming Sam's heart. "Thank you, Sam. In that case I'd be more than happy to go over to your house to study. I just have to call home to say where I'll be."

"Then let's go." Daniel grabbed one last book and his coat from his locker, and the two friends headed out.

* * *

"Wow, this is a nice place," Daniel murmured as he followed Sam into her house. The entryway they had walked into was relatively uncluttered, only an oval mirror on the left-hand wall next to a polished coat rack for decoration. The linoleum tile was a pale grey, and a set of dark wood stairs covered with green shag carpeting led up to the second floor along the right-hand wall. 

Sam took off her jacket and hung it on the coat rack, gesturing for Daniel to do the same. "It's okay I guess," she replied with a shrug, kicking off her sneakers. "The house we had in Florida was bigger."

Daniel followed Sam's lead with his outer clothing, then trailed behind her into the living room just down the hall and to the left. He sat down on the large, floral-print couch when invited and opened his backpack. "I didn't know you moved here from Florida," he commented as he started to pull out his books.

She shrugged again, Daniel sensing the emotional walls she was beginning to retreat behind. "That's where my dad was stationed last. Now stop bending and moving so much. I want to check your stomach where Doug hit you."

The boy blinked and began to blush ever so slightly as he leaned back against the cushion behind him. "You don't have to do this," he said as Sam came over and lifted his sweater to look at the formerly pale skin beneath.

"It's a little red," she commented, ignoring the self-effacing admonishment. "Are you breathing all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. No, really, I'm not short of breath at all," he reiterated quickly when his first reassurance was met with a firm glare. "I'm a little sore, and bending over makes it flare up a little, but it's getting better all the time. I promise."

Sam released the thin, patterned wool and crossed her arms over her chest as she stood up. "Really?"

Daniel nodded. "Really. I don't want you to worry, Sam." He still couldn't believe she would. She had floored him with that announcement.

"Well..." she drew out, giving him a critical once-over. "Okay. But if you start to feel worse or get too sore, you let me know."

"I will."

Loud, thumping footsteps came rushing down the stairs at that point. A moment later, an older boy with shaggy hair a shade darker than Sam's wandered into the room. "Where's my wallet?" he asked without any preamble.

"How the heck should I know? I just got home," Sam responded a touch indignantly.

The older boy finally looked at her and Daniel. "Who's that?" he asked bluntly, a slight frown marring his lean features.

Sam sighed and rolled her eyes. "Mark, this is my friend Daniel Jackson. Daniel, this is my brother Mark. He's sixteen and a complete pain."

"Thus spoke the pot to the kettle. Are you sure you haven't seen my wallet? And since when did you have friends here? I've never heard you talk about him."

"He's sitting right here you know," Sam snapped as Daniel sank further into the sofa cushions. "And you'd have to actually be around for me to talk to you. By the way, no, I don't know where your wallet is. Have you tried your room?"

"Sorry, Daniel. Pleasure to meet you," Mark threw out distractedly, digging around beneath the cushion of the overstuffed chair that matched the couch. "Would I be asking you if the thing had been in my room?"

"How about the laundry room? Maybe you left it in your pants pocket. Dad grabbed the hamper and started a load before he left this morning."

Anger twisted the teenager's features. "He damn well better not have touched my wallet. The son of a bitch had no right!"

Sam's expression was a jumble of emotions as she watched her brother storm from the room. A distant muffled slam of a door a few moments later presumably spoke of Mark's entry into the laundry room. "Sorry about that," she muttered, her eyes glued to the floor. "Mark and my dad... don't get along."

Daniel bit his lower lip as he considered what to say. He didn't want to be nosy, but at the same time he didn't want to see his friend hurting. "What about you?" he asked quietly after a long pause.

"I don't want to talk about it, okay, Daniel? Why don't we just start studying?"

Daniel took a long look at the girl standing in front of him and decided to back off. She'd tell him when she was ready. "Sure, Sam. But I think you'd be more comfortable if you sat down." He patted the cushion beside him.

Sam nodded. "I'll grab my stuff. Did you want anything to drink? We've got juice and soda, and there's always water." She struggled to pull herself back together.

"Only if you're getting something for yourself."

"Yeah, I think I could use something. What would you like?"

"Orange juice if you have it."

"One glass of orange juice, coming right up," Sam declared and walked quickly out of the room.

Two hours later, the coffee table was strewn with papers and textbooks, and both eighth-graders had put earlier events out of their minds. They were discussing one of the books they'd read for their reading class when someone came in the front door. "Mark, Sammy, are you home? I'm going to make supper!" a voice called from the entryway.

Daniel broke off mid-sentence and gave Sam a querying look. "My dad," she explained, her emotional shields suddenly back in place. "He does that every night when he gets home."

A man with thinning brown hair cut in a severe military style came into the room then unbuttoning the jacket of his uniform. "There you are, Sammy." He looked a little startled at Daniel's presence. "Who's your friend?"

"My name is Daniel Jackson," Daniel said, feeling Sam stiffen beside him. "Sam invited me over to study for the finals they're giving us in school next week. But if you're about to have dinner, I should be going."

"No, no, you don't have to go," Sam's father quickly insisted, much to his daughter's surprise. "You're welcome to have dinner with us. Why don't you go ahead and call your parents and let them know where you'll be? When you and Sammy are finished studying, I'll give you a ride home."

Daniel blinked at the generous offer. "I don't want to intrude..." he began to protest.

The man cut him off with a wave of his hand. "You're not intruding; I'm inviting you. I hope pork chops are okay." The boy mutely nodded, his eyes wide with shock, barely noting Sam beside him in the same condition. "Is your brother upstairs, Sam?"

Sam had to clear her throat before she answered. "Uh, yeah. I heard him stomp back up there after he came down looking for his wallet right after we got here. I haven't heard him come back down since."

"Then again, we have been pretty focused on our studying," Daniel added softly with an apologetic tone, determined to tell the whole story. "If he was quiet, we might not have heard him." Sam shot him a sharp look, then nodded her agreement.

"I know how Sammy gets when she opens her books," her father said with a smile. "It wouldn't surprise me. I'll go check on him and change, then start supper. Should be ready in about an hour."

"Thank you," Daniel called out as the older man disappeared.

Sam stared at the spot where her dad had been standing. "That was weird," she muttered. "I wouldn't have expected him to invite you to supper."

Daniel gave her a wide-eyed look in return. "I can go if I'm just going to cause trouble," he insisted, his words almost stumbling over each other in their haste to exit his mouth.

The blonde girl put a speedy hand on his shoulder. "You're not," she said firmly. "If my dad said you can stay, you can stay. I just wasn't expecting him to say you can stay, that's all. I want you to stay."

Another one of Daniel's shy smiles blossomed out. "Then I guess I'll... stay."

"Do you need to call home?"

"No. No one was home when I called before, so I left a message saying I'd be here. It won't be a problem."

Sam gasped. "You mean you would have gone home and no one would have been there? What would you have done for supper?"

Daniel shrugged. "I would have found something. Don't worry about it, Sam. I'm used to it."

Something in his tone and body language told Sam this wasn't something Daniel was comfortable talking about. "Okay," she said softly. "But I'm glad you're eating with us tonight."

"Me too." Daniel took a drink from the third glass of orange juice Sam had insisted on getting for him. "So, Sam," he continued, deftly changing the subject, "I didn't realize your dad was in the military."

"He's a colonel in the Air Force. Colonel Jacob Carter. He's stationed at Beale Air Force Base." Her tone was a touch distant.

"The Air Force?" Daniel repeated, his eyes growing wide. "I have a friend in the Air Force. He's only a cadet in the academy, but still..."

Sam blinked. "You know a cadet?"

Daniel nodded, grinning. "Yeah. Jack and I met a long time ago. We write letters to each other all the time. He makes me laugh." His mood sobered suddenly. "He's been a really good friend."

The young lady beside him didn't understand the surge of jealousy she felt. "I'm glad, Daniel. It's good to know you have other friends."

"Well, Sam, as much as I like Jack and value his friendship, I have something with you that I don't have with him." He thought about reaching out and touching Sam's folded hands that rested in her lap, but reconsidered at the last second. "You're here, Sam," he said gently. "I can talk to you every day, and you understand what I go through every day because you go through it too. I never expected to have two such wonderful friends like you and Jack. I give thanks for the both of you every chance I get."

Sam couldn't believe how easily Daniel had picked up on her emotions. But his words eased the discomfort she had felt, and made her feel even closer to him. She hadn't felt like this in a long time. "I give thanks for you, too, Daniel. You're the best friend I've ever had." Her eyes widened when she saw that Daniel's blue eyes had filled with tears. "Daniel, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he whispered, getting himself back under control. "I just didn't expect you to feel that way."

"Well, you're a special guy. How could I not?" She gave him a bright smile. "Why don't we get back to studying? Dad never takes as long as he says he will with supper." Daniel gave her a watery smile and nodded, and the two of them did just that.

* * *

Jacob Carter walked out of his study the next afternoon arching his back to stretch the muscles after sitting for over two hours doing paperwork. He'd taken to bringing some of the less sensitive of his work home to work on it there so he could be around for his children. Thinking of them, he could faintly hear the sound of music coming from upstairs, most likely from Mark's room as he waited for a phone call from his friends to go out and do something that night. That was becoming a weekly ritual in the Carter household. 

What wasn't common was the other sound the older man heard echoing through the hall - Sammy's laughter. He couldn't remember when he'd last heard that sound; it had been at least six months ago, before... before they had moved, to be certain. It made him happy to hear the joyful noise, and he had a feeling it had something to do with the young man Sam had been studying with the night before. It had surprised Jacob to find his daughter had brought a friend home, although she had always been welcome to do so. He didn't think she realized that, considering the grumbling he used to do every time he'd come home and find extra children in and around his house. But that was... before. Now he realized that both of his children needed their friends more than ever, and he would do what he could to encourage those relationships. Well, the ones that wouldn't hurt them at any rate. Some of the kids Mark hung around with...

Jacob shuddered at the thought of the delinquents he had in mind. At least Sam had picked a nice, quiet boy to hang around with, one who liked the idea of studying and learning. It had taken her long enough to bring him home, but she had. And it was quite apparent from the conversations he had overheard that this Daniel Jackson was just as intelligent as his daughter. Yes, this was a good friend for Sammy to have. He was a good boy, and he made her smile again. Jacob couldn't have asked for anything more. Now if only he could do that for the young girl who looked so much like her mother...

The colonel walked down the hall and leaned in the doorway to the living room, gazing on the scene he found there. Sam and Daniel sat on either side of the coffee table surrounded by every deck of cards in the house. On the table itself was the beginning of a giant card pyramid. As Jacob looked on the boy leaned forward with intense concentration shaping his features, the two cards he held placed with gentle precision. Sam watched carefully, her blue-grey eyes wide and a hand clapped over her mouth. It was priceless.

The older man was about to make a comment when the phone rang. Fortunately for the children's creative effort, Daniel had backed away and Sam hadn't finished grabbing the next two cards to be placed. "You kids are doing a great job," Jacob said before heading for the telephone in the hallway, resting on the built-in shelf in the angled wall under the stairs.

In the living room, Daniel and Sam had jumped more from the girl's father's words than the ring of the phone. "I didn't know your dad was there," Daniel said, a splayed hand on his chest as he flopped back against the couch behind him.

"I didn't either," Sam replied, still staring at the space where the man had been.

Daniel's head cocked to the side when Jacob's conversation switched from English to another language altogether. "Who's your dad talking to?" he asked.

The young blonde turned to look at him. "Oh, the Arabic? Dad uses that when he needs to talk about classified stuff at home. Mark and I don't know it, and neither does anyone else, so it's safe." She missed the widening of her friend's eyes as she reached for the cards she'd dropped. "It's my turn, right?"

"Uh, yeah," Daniel said distractedly, getting his expression under control. His attention was half on the conversation from the hall.

"This is starting to get tough. I've never built one this big before," she murmured.

An hour later, Daniel capped off the pyramid with a final pair. From the hall, it sounded like Jacob's discussion was beginning to wind down. "Um, Sam, do you have a camera maybe? If you do we should take a picture. No one will believe us otherwise." He gave her a small smile.

She returned it with a wide one of her own. "Oh, definitely. I think Dad has one up in his room, or maybe his study. I'll check." The girl carefully rose to her feet and left the room.

Daniel watched her go before following suit and pausing in the doorway just in time to see his friend's father hang up the phone. "Excuse me, Colonel Carter?" he said hesitantly.

Jacob turned his head and smiled at the boy. "What do you need, kid?" he asked in a friendly tone.

"I... I need to tell you something. I... I think I understood most of what you were saying on the phone."

The man's eyes widened at the admission. He cleared his throat. "What makes you say that, Daniel? I was talking to my friend in Arabic, not English."

Daniel swallowed nervously. "One of my first languages was Arabic, sir," he admitted in the appropriate tongue. "Please don't be mad," he continued, reverting to English. "I promise I won't tell anyone what you were talking about, not even Sam. She doesn't even know I understood. She told me you used Arabic when it was classified, and I know that means you can't talk about it to people. So I won't." He bit his lower lip when he finished his apologetic rambling and looked up at Jacob with earnest, tear-brimmed blue eyes.

"How many languages do you speak?" the colonel asked, buying time so he could figure out what to do.

"Thirteen," was the quiet response. "I've been hoping to pick up Japanese, but so far I haven't been able to find anyone to teach me."

Jacob's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Thirteen?" he parroted incredulously. "Why do I get the feeling you can read more than you speak?"

Daniel nodded. "Yes, sir. Another three, and five ancient languages."

A shouted exchange between the pair of siblings upstairs caught their attention and reminded them they weren't alone in the house. "Look, Daniel," Jacob said with a sigh. "I don't think there's any way I could have known you'd understand me, and you definitely couldn't have known I use Arabic to have more sensitive conversations at home. You didn't do anything wrong. You've promised me you wouldn't say anything to anyone; I'm going to hold you to that. And as long as you keep your promise, we won't mention it again."

"Are... are you sure?" Daniel asked meekly. "I don't want you to get in trouble for me overhearing you."

"If no one knows, how can I get in trouble?" the older man said with a shrug. "I'll just be sure to take my calls in the study from now on. That way you can't accidentally overhear me, and neither of us will get in trouble." Jacob smiled at the boy before him. "It'll be okay, Daniel. I think we just reached an understanding."

"I understand, Colonel Carter. Thank you for not punishing me." Big blue eyes stared at the floor at the boy's feet.

Jacob reached out and gently brought the small chin up. "There's nothing to punish you for. You didn't do anything wrong," he repeated firmly. "What happened here was an accident - on both our parts. I made an assumption I shouldn't have. That's all." Daniel swallowed again and nodded. "Now," the man continued in a tone that signified he was changing the subject, "what exactly was Sammy doing dashing upstairs the way she did?"

A smile began to twitch upward on Daniel's face. "We finished our pyramid. Sam was just looking for a camera so we could take a picture of it."

"And she's looking in my room, I bet." Jacob chuckled and shook his head. "The Polaroid is in my study." Hurried footsteps came rushing down the stairs. "You two go back into the living room and I'll go get it," he offered as a head of flowing blonde hair came into sight. "I want to see this great project of yours."

"Okay, Colonel." Daniel turned to face Sam just as she came up to him with a disappointed look on her face and Jacob disappeared into the study.

"I'm sorry, Daniel," Sam said with a pout. "I couldn't find the camera. I saw Dad go into the study, so I won't be able to look there."

"That's okay. Your dad's gone to get it. We're supposed to wait for him in the living room."

Sam blinked. "Okay..."

A few minutes later Jacob joined them in the other room. "Okay, now the two of you stand to either side of the coffee table, and I'll take your picture." They carefully moved to do so, and the elder Carter snapped off a shot. "Don't move. Let me get one for each of you," Jacob cautioned as he pulled out the developing film and set it aside. He took the second shot. "One more time." The flash went off for a third time. He held up the last picture. "This one's for me," he said with a grin.

Sam's smile faded to be replaced by a look of confusion. "But you took one for me," she said, her tone matching her expression.

"And that's exactly who it's for," her father told her. "I'm taking this one to work to put on my desk. Here you guys go," he continued, putting down his own copy and holding out the other two. Sam and Daniel took them just as the phone rang. "I'll get that. It's probably for Mark. And then I have to get back to my paperwork. If it looks like I'm going to miss supper, give a knock, okay, Sammy? Oh, and you're welcome to stay, Daniel." Sam just nodded as her dad walked away, snatching his picture as he went.

"I didn't know they made cameras like this," Daniel murmured with wonder as he gazed at his picture once the two children were alone.

"You've never seen a Polaroid before?" Sam asked, the comment pulling her back from her thoughts.

Daniel shook his head. "Never. But it's pretty neat."

The low sound of a terse exchange near the telephone made itself heard. Sam flinched and sighed. "They always fight like that."

"Your dad and your brother? Why?" Daniel asked.

Sam waited for Jacob to stride by and the sound of the study door slamming that followed soon after. "Because it's my dad's fault my mom died six months ago." The murmured response was dark and filled with anger, and the girl crossed her arms over her chest.

Daniel blinked in surprise before a look of compassion transformed his features. "I'm sorry, Sam. What happened?"

"She was in a car accident. My dad was late picking her up so she took a taxi, and they got into an accident. She was killed instantly." The low voice broke on the last word. She took a deep breath. "If he'd just been there when he said he would, it wouldn't have happened."

"You don't know that, Sam." Daniel bit his lower lip when he got no response. "Why was he late?"

"Some meeting or something that he claims he couldn't get out of. Some general showed up and wanted some kind of review or something. But he should have been there for her."

"So that's why your brother is mad at your dad all the time," Daniel concluded sadly. "Why aren't you?"

The sound of the receiver being dropped carelessly back onto the cradle filled the silence left as Sam unfolded her arms and tried to gather her thoughts. She'd never been asked that before. "Sam, I'm going," Mark called out. "I'll be late."

"Not too late!" Jacob's muffled voice replied.

"I'll be very late!" Mark corrected himself, fury dripping from his words. Not long after, the front door slammed, sending vibrations through the house. The carefully-built playing card structure collapsed in on itself, causing Sam and Daniel to stare at the now flat surface between them. The young girl blinked then glanced at the picture she still held in her hand. She looked up again just as Daniel brought his head up from the table, and their eyes met.

"Is that how you feel, too?" Daniel asked quietly.

Sam's expression became stricken. "But he should have been there! He shouldn't have been late!"

The boy standing across the table from her shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not, but he was late. And I bet it hurts him just as much as it hurts you and your brother. Just like every time you glare at him, and every time Mark yells at him, it hurts him."

"He deserves it!"

"Really? Didn't your dad love your mom?"

The question startled Sam. "Well, yeah, he did. They loved each other a lot," she said after a brief pause.

Daniel nodded. "I bet he blames himself for being late."

Sam hesitated before responding. "Yeah, he said something like that before the funeral." She closed her eyes. "But it is his fault!"

"Why does it have to be anybody's fault? Your mom's gone. It was an accident. I know it hurts..."

"What would you know about it?" Sam snapped defensively. "How would you know what it feels like to lose your mother?"

There was a sudden, cold silence that descended on the room as Daniel's expression lost every trace of emotion. Sam saw the change and realized she'd said something wrong, but was much too hurt and confused to do anything about it. Yet she couldn't turn away from the piercing blue gaze that bore into her. "In September of 1973, Doctors Melbourne and Claire Jackson were supervising the construction of their exhibit at the New York Museum of Art. While the coverstone was being lowered onto the thick, stone walls that made up the reconstructed tomb they had brought over from Egypt, a weak link in the chain attaching it to the pulley broke, toppling it into the rest of the stone slabs. Everything collapsed onto them, killing them instantly. They left behind an eight-year-old son who has spent the last three years in foster care, going from home to home, never staying anywhere very long. Losing people you love hurts more than anything, and when you think there might be something, anything you could have done to change what happened, it hurts even more. I know you hurt, Sam. But your dad hurts even more. Think about that the next time you feel like glaring at him over a tiny slight, or Mark yells at him for calling him to dinner. And no matter what else you do, remember that he's still here to be mad at. I don't have that luxury." And with that, Daniel spun around and grabbed his jacket and backpack and headed for the door, shoving the picture he still held in his hand into his pocket as he went.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

* * *

Eight o'clock the next morning, Jacob Carter walked down the upstairs hall to wake his children so they could get ready for the day while he prepared breakfast. There was no answer from his son's room, and when he opened the door he saw the bed had not been slept in. He closed his eyes as he closed the door, his jaw clenched with anger and frustration. There was teenage rebellion, there was anger and blame, and then there was this. But he didn't know what to do about it. 

With an effort, Jacob took a deep breath and released it, relaxing his muscles and clearing his head before moving on to Sam's bedroom. There was no reason he should take out his frustrations on her. Besides, she'd had a bad night the night before. His little girl had been quiet and withdrawn, unwilling to explain where Daniel had gone in such a hurry as she cleaned up the mess their pyramid had caused when it collapsed. He guessed there had been an argument of some sort, but wasn't too concerned. Children would be children after all, and everything should blow over in a few days.

"Sammy, time to get up, kiddo." There was no response to his hail, although he could hear something from the other side of the door. She was probably already up. "I'm coming in, Sam," he announced as he reached for the knob. "You wouldn't happen to know where your brother... could... be... Sammy?"

His original train of thought was totally derailed by the sight that met his eyes when he opened Sam's door and stepped inside. The young blonde was stretched out on the bed, face buried in her comforter with her forehead on her crooked left arm, the picture of herself and Daniel taken the day before clenched tightly in her right hand. What was truly shocking was that Sam's shoulders were shaking with the force of her crying, something she hadn't done since her mother's funeral as far as he knew.

Totally at a loss, Jacob hurriedly sat on the side of the bed and laid a gentle hand on the quivering back. "Sammy, what's wrong? What happened?"

"D-d-daniel h-h-hates me!" Sam cried out between sobs, not lifting her head. "I said mean things to him yesterday and he h-hates me!"

"What are you talking about? What did you say that was so bad?"

She shook her head, still not lifting it. "He's got every right to hate me. I was mean and out of line and he was just wondering. He's the best friend I've ever had, and I made him hate me!"

Jacob sighed and realized his daughter was in no condition to answer questions. He began to rub his hand in gentle circles between her shoulder blades. "Sam, I'm sure whatever you said couldn't be that bad. Daniel will forgive you. You just have to say you're sorry."

"I am sorry, but he won't want to talk to me. I wouldn't want to talk to me either, not after what I said."

"You don't know that, sweetheart," Jacob refuted, his hand stilling. At his words, Sam broke out into a fresh wave of weeping. The man just didn't know what to do anymore. What he wouldn't give to have his wife there... "Oh, God, Sammy, I wish I knew what to say to you. I wish your mom could be here, that I'd done more to insure that she would be. I know she'd already have everything smoothed over for you."

Sam turned over onto her back in surprise at the mention of her mother. Her father hadn't willingly brought her up since the funeral. When she looked into the older man's eyes, she - in a moment of raw emotion herself - saw what Daniel had told her the day before was there: a deep, abiding guilt and pain that seemed amplified by a helplessness to help his daughter. Without even intending it, Jacob had proven Daniel's point and finally broke through the barriers around Sam's heart. The young blonde sat up abruptly and threw her arms around her father's chest. "But you're here," she murmured as he returned the embrace hesitantly. "You're here."

"You bet I'm here, Sammy," Jacob replied fiercely, tightening his hold on her. "And I'll be here as long as I can, whenever you need me."

Sam nodded, her face rubbing against the faded blue terrycloth of Jacob's robe. She sat there a while, letting the warmth from her father's arms seep into her soul. "Dad," she finally said a touch hesitantly, "do you really think if I say I'm sorry Daniel will forgive me?"

She listened to the echo of his chuckle reverberate in his chest. "I think Daniel is a good boy with a big heart who cares about you very much. If you say you're sorry and you mean it, he'll forgive you."

Sam pulled back and began to fidget with the picture she held. "I do mean it. But I should do it today. I want to fix it before it can get any worse." She paused and took a deep breath. "But I don't know his phone number or where he lives."

"Then this is your lucky day, kiddo," Jacob said with a soft smile. "If you'll remember, I drove Daniel home Friday night. How about I take you over there? I'll wait outside for a while, and you find out if he wants to talk there or somewhere else. I'll take you guys wherever you want to go."

"Oh, Dad, would you really?" Sam asked, her blue-grey eyes wide and a small smile filled with hope beginning to make an appearance.

"Anything for my little girl. Now you get up and get dressed while I make us breakfast, then I'll take you over to Daniel's and you can smooth this whole mess over." He ran a hand through her long blonde locks as his smile grew larger, then headed for the door. "Oh, by the way, would you have any idea where your brother could be?" he asked, pausing in the doorway. "He didn't come home last night."

Sam blinked as she saw the flash of pain that came and went in her father's eyes, yet another confirmation of Daniel's insight. "Um, no, Dad. He didn't tell me anything yesterday. I didn't realize he hadn't come home."

Jacob nodded. "That's what I figured. Well, get ready. We have lots to do this morning."

"You bet, Dad."

* * *

Daniel sat in the back of the walk-in closet he shared with his thirteen-year-old foster brother as he had since he'd finished supper the night before. His knees were pulled up to his chest with his forehead resting on them, his arms wrapped around the lanky limbs. He hadn't been able to sleep at all, his mind constantly replaying the argument he'd had with Sam. 

What had he been thinking? Sam's relationship with her father was none of his business, and he certainly had no right to tell her how to feel about her mother's death. He couldn't believe he'd been so mean and harsh. There had been no way Sam could have known that his own parents were dead and he was in foster care. But of course he had to overreact to her understandable defensive questions and send her on a vicious guilt trip. There was no way she'd want to be his friend after this. He'd be lucky if she'd ever be willing to look at him again.

Daniel fought back the tears that threatened to form. One more time he'd be losing someone he cared very much about. Was that all that the future held for him? Was he going to just keep getting close to people just to see them leave, either by dying or in disgust with his pathetic personality? After the Rogers left he'd thought he could shut the world out and take care of himself. He should have realized how wrong he was when he qualified that with his connection with Jack. Not that he'd ever give that up, but it was oh so obvious that he couldn't turn his back on people. He knew what it was like to be left alone and hurting, and he just couldn't bring himself to do that to anyone else, no matter how much pain he was in himself.

He was just going to have to learn to swallow the pain, like he'd been doing since that fateful day at the New York Museum of Art. He could help people, but he couldn't count on them to be there in return. Sam was just one more example, not that he blamed her. He only wished things were different.

A pounding on the closet door made Daniel's head snap up. "Yo, loser, you in there?" one of his foster brothers asked harshly from the other side. "Someone's here to see you!"

"He's not a loser so stop calling him that!" a muffled female voice cried out indignantly.

Sam? Sam was here? He wasn't expecting her to end things so soon. Considering the rage he was sure he'd left her in, Daniel had guessed it would be at least a couple of days before she told him to take a hike.

"You obviously don't know him. Get out of the closet, geek!"

"I'm coming." Daniel crawled to the door and moved some clothes out of the way to give himself room to stand.

When he unlocked the door and stepped into his bedroom, he found the seventeen-year-old Matthew sneering at him and Sam in the doorway staring daggers at Matthew. "Don't you call him a geek either," she growled, fists firmly planted on her hips. "Just proves you're jealous because he's so much smarter than you." She turned her head to face Daniel, her expression immediately changing to guarded reluctance. "We need to talk, Daniel. I'm thinking we should go somewhere else to do it." She shot a significant look at the taller young man who still stood there watching the display.

"Are you sure?" he asked quietly, barely able to make eye contact.

"Yeah. Grab your stuff and let's go. My dad's outside in the car. He said he'd take us anywhere we wanted to go."

"You think he can just take off whenever he wants?" Matthew scoffed as Daniel blinked in complete surprise.

The younger boy registered the haughty question a moment later. "Why not? You do," he said snarkily, walking over to where he had dropped his backpack the day before. It hadn't been touched since.

Matthew glared at him. "That's different. I'm older."

Daniel shrugged. "So? I'm smarter. Come on, Sam." He walked out of his room and headed directly for the living room once Sam stepped aside for him, the girl immediately following. Once he got there, he sought out the older woman who sat on the couch watching television, flipping through a magazine as she did so. "Mrs. Betts?" he asked a touch shyly.

The woman raised her head and smoothed back her grey-streaked brown hair. "What is it, Daniel?" she asked with a distant smile.

"May I go over to my friend Sam's house today? That's why she came over, to ask me." He totally missed Sam's start of surprise when he called her his friend.

Mrs. Betts nodded as she dropped her gaze once again to her magazine. "Of course, Daniel. Have fun."

"Can he stay for lunch and supper?" Sam asked as Daniel went to get his jacket. The girl missed his start of surprise at the question.

"Just have him call if it's going to be too late," Daniel's foster mother said dismissively as she shooed the children away absently. Her eyes never rose again from the glossy pictures before her.

Daniel and Sam shared a look, both a bit embarrassed for different reasons. "Good-bye, Mrs. Betts," the boy said politely as he zipped up his jacket and led Sam out of the house. There was no response.

It was a silent ride back to the Carter's house. Jacob left them alone in the living room, claiming he had work to do in the study, and the two children sat on either end of the couch not looking at each other for five wordless minutes. "I'm sorry, Sam," Daniel said finally.

That made her turn her head to stare incredulously at him. "Why? You were right."

Daniel shook his head. "I shouldn't have said anything. It wasn't my place to tell you how you should treat your father or react to your mother's death. I was out of line to have told you about my parents the way I did, to make you feel guilty."

"I don't think you told me to make me feel guilty," Sam refuted. "I think you told me to try to make me understand. And if anyone was out of line yesterday, it was me."

"No, no, you had every right to be upset with me. I shouldn't have stuck my nose into your business. I... I'll understand completely if you don't want to be friends anymore."

Sam's jaw dropped as she gazed at the dejected form opposite her on the couch. He hadn't looked at her once, and his voice was filled with resigned acceptance. He really thought she wanted to tell him to take a hike. "Daniel, that discussion became your business the moment I involved you in it," she said gently. "And you said a lot of things that made me think. But I think the most important thing you need to know right now is that I definitely consider you my friend, now more than ever." Her breath caught for a moment when her statement snapped his head around toward her, his expression one of shock, amazement, and blossoming hope. "You told me things I needed to hear, and you shared a very painful memory with me to drive it home - all because you care about me." She smiled, not noticing the tears that were beginning to well up in both their eyes. "Other than my family, no one's ever cared that much about me. Daniel, you're the best friend I've ever had, and the last thing I'd ever do, or ever want to do, is make you go away. I wouldn't blame you after the way I treated you, but please don't. I don't want my friend to go." She bit her lower lip and blinked furiously to keep herself in check.

Daniel was flabbergasted, so much so that he didn't feel the wetness of his cheeks as his eyes overflowed slightly. "You... you really don't hate me?"

A teary laugh escaped Sam's lips. "Of course not. I was afraid you hated me."

"Never, Sam, never," the young man insisted emphatically.

Sam scooted over and threw her arms around Daniel and was relieved to feel him do the same in response. "We'll be best friends forever, I know it," she murmured into his shoulder, grinning when she felt him nod in agreement. "And thanks to you, I see my dad the way he really is. I think I can forgive him now, Daniel."

Daniel gave her a happy squeeze. "That's wonderful, Sam. Did you tell him?"

"No, not yet. I just came to that conclusion this morning, when I was still really worried about you."

"So when are you going to tell him?"

Sam took a long moment to consider that before an idea came to her. "I think I know the perfect way," she said as she sat up and gently ended the embrace. "But I'll need your help."

Daniel smiled. "What do you need, Sam?"

"You're in art class while I'm in shop class, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Then I need you to draw me a picture for a Christmas card. I'd do it myself, but I'm not really any good at it, and I want this picture to be the best it can be. And maybe you can help me with the wording...?" She gave him a tentative, pleading look.

Daniel's smile widened. "Whatever you need, Sam. Whatever you need."

* * *

"Dear Jack, 

"I really messed up yesterday. Sam and I got into an argument, and I said some mean things. I was pushy and inconsiderate, and I had the audacity to tell her how she should feel about something that had hurt her terribly. I don't want to say exactly what it was we argued about, since it's not my place to say. I might as well do something right.

"I ended up telling her about my parents in the process of it all. I can't believe I gave her that guilt trip! I never thought I could be that heartless. I knew she was hurting and I said it anyway. Makes me wonder if I deserve her for a friend after all.

"It certainly makes me realize just how lucky I am. Sam came over earlier today to pick me up so we could talk. I was sure she was going to tell me she didn't want anything more to do with me - and I wouldn't have blamed her if she had - but she wanted to apologize to me. We talked for a while and worked everything out. After not being able to sleep last night it was such a relief. She really has turned out to be a good friend, and she thinks of me the same way. I'm still working out why. I think I'll just take it for an early Christmas present and leave it at that. Now all I have to worry about are the finals coming up this week. But I'm not that worried. I'll write you another letter later this week when I have your Christmas present done. Until then enjoy your vacation.

"Your friend,

"Daniel"

* * *

It felt like a temporary truce had been called in the Carter household for Christmas that Saturday. Mark held his temper through the morning, making it easier for Jacob to hold his. The three of them shared a hearty breakfast before opening presents, a small pile being left behind for when Daniel came over that afternoon. Sam fidgeted horribly the whole morning, waiting for her brother to leave. She didn't feel comfortable giving her father his real present with the teenager around since she knew what his reaction would be. Maybe she should have Daniel have a talk with him, too. If anyone could make Mark see reason, it would be Daniel. 

She shook her head. Nah. Daniel was her friend; you didn't send your friends into that kind of danger.

A little after lunch Mark left to go hang out with a few of his friends that didn't celebrate Christmas and Jacob retreated to his study with a sad look and a sigh. Sam figured that was her chance. She ran up to her room and grabbed the card she had made before hurrying back to the closed study door. "Dad?" she asked after knocking loudly.

"What is it, Sammy?" the man's tired voice called back, nearly breaking the girl's heart.

"I have another present for you, Dad. I wanted to wait until we were alone to give it to you. Can I come in?"

"It's unlocked."

When Sam slipped inside, closing the door behind her, she saw her father leaning back almost lazily in the chair behind his desk attempting to give her a smile. "This is just between you and me. Daniel helped me make it." She walked over to the desk and handed him the large card.

Jacob looked closely at the folded piece of white construction paper and the carefully drawn bouquet of gladiolas on the outside. His eyes widened. "These look almost lifelike. Did Daniel draw these?"

"Yeah, aren't they great? It's amazing what Daniel can do with colored pencils. He wasn't satisfied with the proportions, but I said they were fine. He finally gave in." She frowned. "That may have had more to do with the fact that we ran out of construction paper though."

"'Because we both love her'," Jacob read, then gave his daughter an odd look. "What is this?" he asked, confused.

"Open it," Sam urged eagerly.

The older man gazed at her for a moment longer then followed her suggestion. "'Christmas is a time for family and loved ones, even those we miss that can't be with us. That love is more important than material things, and so I give this gift to you. I love you, Daddy, and I forgive you. Merry Christmas.'" By the time he reached the end of the hand-written note, Jacob's eyes were filled with tears, and his voice cracked on the holiday well-wishes. He brought his eyes up to meet Sam's equally watery gaze. "Sammy, are you sure?" he barely whispered.

She nodded. "I know you loved Mom as much as we did, and you'd never have done anything to deliberately hurt her. I was just too focused on my own pain to see yours. I'm sorry, Daddy, and I love you." The young blonde ran around the desk and threw herself at her father, arms open wide.

He gathered her close and laid his cheek against the soft golden locks. "I love you, Samantha Rose. I love you so much."

The father and daughter pair held each other and cried for a long time. Finally Jacob pulled back slightly and held his daughter at arm's length, gazing at her with so much love in his eyes that Sam wondered how she could have missed it before. "I am so glad you're still here for me to be mad at," Sam said fervently.

Confusion transformed Jacob's features. "Did I do something to make you angry, Sam?"

"Oh!" the girl exclaimed, her hands flying upward to cover her mouth. "That didn't come out right!"

Jacob chuckled. "Now I think I get it."

"You know, Daniel didn't just help me with that card," Sam admitted after returning her father's smile. "He's the one who made me see your side."

"So that's what you argued about, huh?" Jacob guessed.

"Yeah. I told him that you and Mark always argued, and he asked me why I wasn't mad at you all the time like Mark was. I didn't know what to say. Daniel kept defending you, so I asked him how he would know how I felt." Sam's eyes dropped to the floor. "He told me his parents died a little over three years ago and he'd been in foster care ever since."

Jacob sighed. "Well, that explains why the boy that met him at the door looked nothing like him."

Sam nodded. "He reminded me I still had you, and that I was lucky." She finally brought her eyes back up. "Daniel was right, Dad. I still have you. And I'm glad."

Her father smiled warmly. "So am I, kiddo. So am I. I guess we both have a lot to be grateful to Daniel for. I'm glad he's coming over this afternoon."

"Me too." Sam looked at the clock on the wall to her left. "And he should be here any time! I have one more present in my room I forgot to wrap!" She tore out of the study and up the stairs.

Jacob laughed outright at the sight and headed for the kitchen to get some drinks ready. He hoped Daniel showed up before Sam was ready. He wanted to thank the young man personally. And that was just a small measure of what he owed Daniel for giving him his daughter back.

* * *

"Dear Daniel, 

"Do you go out of your way to try and give me heart attacks? I read the first part of the letter you wrote before Christmas and nearly panicked because I thought you'd been smacked upside the head by life again. I was about ready to check my savings account to see if I could fly out there. Then I read that last paragraph and breathed a huge sigh of relief. Don't do that to me!

"Sounds like you had a good time with the Carters on Christmas. I brought in a decent haul myself. Dad gave me the old beater I used to drive around in high school and said he'd store it in his garage until I had a place for it. Chris gave me a new hockey stick, Beth got me a pair of tickets to the EAA Air Show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin next year, Gabriel picked me up a pair of skis, and my mom gave me a photographic collage of the family. They were all impressed with the pencil drawing of the Egyptian gods you sent me. My mom and Chris said it was interesting the way you grouped the profiles of the animal-headed representations with completely human images of what they might look like. In fact, my mom would really like to know where you got the inspiration for that one. I liked it myself, but something about one of the goddesses - Hathor I think you said her name was - kinda creeped me out. Don't get me wrong, still a great picture but... -shudder-

"Actually, Lauren said it was pretty neat when I showed her the day after I got back from Christmas break. She wondered where the color was, but I explained it. Her roommate Sara made fun of her for not understanding it was a pencil drawing, then me for keeping it in the bottom of my trunk. It's not like I'm allowed to hang it on the wall, I hope you know that. As soon as I have some real personal space that's exactly what I'm going to do. But until then, in the trunk it stays.

"What is it with Sara anyway? I've been seeing Lauren for almost four months now, and Sara hasn't backed off in the least. She's always throwing me attitude, and we get into a bickering match almost every time we meet. It's pissing Lauren off, actually. Of course, she blames me for letting Sara get to me, but making it up to her is a whole lot of fun.

"Maybe I shouldn't be telling you that quite yet.

"I don't get why Lauren and Sara are such good friends, anyway. Sara's a pretty serious student, gets good grades in all her classes. She's light-colored, especially compared to Lauren, with her shoulder-length dirty blonde hair and pale skin. And there's a hardness, a toughness to her and her lean, muscular frame. I don't get her. Lauren has long, black hair and an almost permanent tan, a billowy frame and a constant smile. God, Daniel, she's so beautiful. She's not all that serious most of the time, but she sure knows how to have a good time. I have to admit that if it weren't for Sara she'd probably be failing her classes, but that's about all the use I have for the witch.

"Okay, I doubt you really want to hear me go on about someone I don't really like. I started making serious inquiries about the advanced piloting classes, and a couple of my instructors have subtly let me know my chances seem pretty good so far. So, all in all things are going pretty well. Oh, and the hockey team got a new assistant coach. He's another one I don't think I care for.

"I think that about does me for this letter. Write back soon and let me know how the science fair went. With Sam helping you out you should be just fine. Heck, I don't think the science department will know what hit them.

"Your friend,

"Jack"

* * *

Time went by at its usual rapid pace, filled with letters and study sessions and random trips to various places. Jacob threw a small birthday party for Sam during the second half of May where he gave both Sam and Daniel pictures he took at the science fair. "I can't believe you took this picture!" Sam cried when she saw the photograph. Daniel just blushed. 

"How could I not?" Jacob replied through a laugh. "The both of you were just standing there blinking, smoke billowing out around you."

"It wasn't supposed to explode," Daniel murmured, the color in his cheeks deepening.

"It wouldn't have exploded if it hadn't been for that stupid hamster," Sam grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. "What was Patty thinking, not securing the dumb thing's cage? I don't think she ever found it."

Jacob shook his head, still grinning. "What I want to know is what the little monster found so tasty that it felt the need to chew through your containers. You guys were so careful not to mix those chemicals."

It was his daughter's turn to blush. "I think that might have been my fault. I'd just finished a peanut butter and jelly sandwich before we set up our display, and I might have gotten some on the containers." She shrugged. "But it wouldn't have made a difference if Patty had kept her cage secured!"

"At least they still gave us the first place ribbon," Daniel said. "We're just lucky it didn't all happen until after they'd finished judging the project."

"My dress was ruined," Sam bemoaned. "And I'd only worn it twice."

Jacob raised his eyebrows. "You owned it for a year, Sammy. It's not like you didn't have a chance to wear it more often."

Sam brushed off some imaginary dust from her well-worn blue jeans and lifted her head haughtily. "That's not the point."

The doorbell rang just then, and Jacob rose to answer it. He grinned when he saw who it was. "George! What the hell are you doing here?"

The lean man starting to thicken in the middle grinned back. "Turns out I've got some news for you, Jake, and figured I'd deliver it in person." He stepped inside at a gesture from Jacob. "Nice house you've got."

"Believe it or not, I do have taste. So how's Margaret and the girls?"

"They're doing great." George paused as a pair of laughing voices echoed down the hall. "Do I need to ask how your kids are doing?"

"Mark gets more and more rebellious every day," Jacob replied with a frown. It quickly disappeared. "But Sammy and I made a breakthrough at Christmas and have been getting closer. I have her friend Daniel to thank for that."

George grinned. "Daniel, huh? How old is Sam again?"

Jacob gave his friend a light punch on the shoulder. "Don't start with that. I'm not looking forward to the dating years. Besides, those two are the best of friends. I've never seen a pair closer. But you want to know what's really scary? You know how I told you how smart my girl is? Well, Daniel is at least as smart as she is."

"You're kidding."

"Not by a long shot."

Another round of laughter came from down the hall. "From what you told me, I didn't think I'd hear that when I walked in your front door." George gestured in the direction of the giggling voices.

"That's something else I have to thank Daniel for, although I think Sam taught him to laugh again. He just made it possible for her to want to. Come on. I'll introduce you." Jacob led his friend down the hall, and the two men stopped in the doorway to watch the two children at play. They sat on the floor between the couch and the coffee table, using the table as some kind of desk and looking extremely serious.

"Hello. I'm Samantha Carter."

"I'm Daniel Jackson."

"And welcome to the six o'clock news."

As Sam began to rattle on about a made-up, late-breaking news story, George's pale blue eyes widened. Hearing those two names together struck a chord in him, one he hadn't been sure existed - or if it did, one that wouldn't be played for another twenty years. He thought back to the time he'd spent working under Cheyenne Mountain in 1969, and the four prisoners he was supposed to have escorted out before they "escaped", leaving him and all the other guards unconscious around the two trucks. Something in the faces of these two children reminded him of two of the four "Soviet spies". Yes, he could just make out the features that would grow into the man and woman he would get to know so well so many years in the future. And something about the confirmation of what he'd been told so many years ago made him feel better, like everything was moving forward the way it was suppose to be.

An elbow to the ribs brought George back to the present. "Hey, kids," Jacob announced into the silence of an announced "commercial break". "I'd like you to meet a friend of mine, Colonel George Hammond."

"Hi," Sam said cheerfully.

"Hello, sir," Daniel said respectfully.

"Hi there," George replied in a friendly tone, a small smile on his face. "I guess I don't have to ask who you are. Samantha and Daniel, right?"

Daniel nodded as Sam rolled her eyes. "It's Sam, but yeah."

Jacob laughed. "I guess I should have warned you about that. So what's your news?"

George shot a quick look at Sam and his smile completely faded. His gaze shifted back to his friend before he could see the effect his change of expression had on the young blonde. "I drove up here to let you know that you're about to get your orders to transfer to Dover. I'm heading that way myself."

"Dover, huh?" Jacob responded, his eyebrows raised in surprise. It was his turn to shoot a glance at his daughter, who had turned pale at the news. "When?"

"About a month if your orders are the same as mine."

"Maybe I should make a call. Why don't you come with me to the study?" He gestured down the hall and George began heading that way. "Sammy? I'll let you know as soon as I have some answers, okay?"

Sam nodded. "Okay, Dad," she said softly.

Jacob gave her a weak smile. "It'll be okay, sweetheart." He watched his little girl for a few beats longer then left.

"I don't want to go, Daniel," Sam murmured after a long, silent moment.

"I know," Daniel replied just as softly. "But your dad's right. It'll be okay."

Blue met blue as Sam turned to face him. "I don't want to leave you behind. You're my best friend, Daniel."

Daniel pulled back slightly in shock. "You... you're my best friend, too, Sam. You and Jack. And this is different..." His voice trailed off as he took a deep breath. "I'm leaving anyway. I was going to tell you before I left today."

Sam leaned forward, all thoughts of her own tragedy pushed aside. "What do you mean you're leaving? When?"

"My social worker called yesterday and told me they'd be changing my placement. I thought it would be around here, but it turns out that it's going to be further south, in Carmel. I guess there's no place closer that's available right now."

"So why do you have to go?"

Daniel shrugged. "I'm guessing that there's some kind of rule about how long you can stay with one family, so you don't get too attached. Foster families are supposed to be temporary, after all."

Sam frowned. "That's not fair. Not fair at all." She took a deep breath to get her temper under control when she saw Daniel's eyes drop to the table and his brave face start to quiver. "So when are you going?" she asked, much calmer.

"The middle of June. The eighteenth, I think." Daniel shrugged again. "I'm not used to having so much notice."

The blonde girl reached out and took her friend's hand. "They're probably waiting for school to be over in both places." She smiled slightly once Daniel had nodded his concession of the point. "You know, that makes me feel better about having to move. Once you're gone there'll be nothing here that I'd want to stay for."

That made Daniel raise his head. "You don't mean that, Sam, do you?"

"Of course I do. Other than my dad and my brother, you're the only one I'm close to here. So when you're gone, I won't really have any friends in Wheatland. Why would I want to stay?" Her smile grew stronger.

"I wouldn't want to stay without you here, either," Daniel said seriously. "I'm not going to like it in Carmel."

"I probably won't like it in Dover," Sam said with a shrug. "But we'll both try anyway, right? And write letters back and forth like you do with Jack?"

Daniel didn't miss the touch of desperation in her eyes and voice. He finally smiled. "Of course, Sam. I don't ever want to lose contact with you. And I suppose there might be something in Carmel worth liking." The smile turn slightly impish. "I'll make a deal with you. I'll find something I really like in Carmel and tell you all about it. In return, you have to find something in Dover that you really like and tell me all about it." He thrust out his hand.

Sam shook it heartily, her expression a relieved grin. "You've got a deal, buster. I hope you like long letters."

"As much as I like writing them."

They both laughed. "And when we move again - like I have a feeling is going to happen - we'll find new things we like and tell each other about them," Sam said with a decisive nod.

"It'll give me something to look forward to," Daniel said with a wide smile.

"Now," Sam said in a tone that signified she was changing the subject, "since it looks like neither one of us is going anywhere for a few weeks, let's get back to having some fun. We haven't covered sports yet."

Sam gave him a quick hug that was enthusiastically returned, and the two of them went back to their mock news broadcast.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

* * *

"Dear Jack, 

"So how is school going? It seems weird to write that in the beginning of August when I won't be going back for another three weeks. Life isn't as bad here in Carmel as I thought it would be, but I think I came here with a better attitude thanks to the deal I made with Sam. Your letters are great to look forward to as well.

"Thinking of that, what happened to Lauren? You haven't mentioned her in either of your last two letters. Did you break up with her? Did she move away? I hope you're not feeling bad if one of those things happened. Do you still see Sara? If you do, do you still fight all the time? I don't completely understand why you fight, but I think you'd miss it if it stopped.

"Have you heard anything more about those advanced piloting classes you're hoping to take? I know how much you want to fly jets, and I think you'd make a great cadet teacher. Although I do have to say that if you'd stop antagonizing the secretary's assistant in the counselor's office, you might find that you get your answers faster.

"My foster siblings haven't really taken much notice of me so far, and I'm not sure that's a bad thing. They look like they play a little rough. And when I overheard the next door neighbor mention that to Mrs. Mason, she just laughed and said that's just the way kids are. She obviously hasn't had any experience with kids like me. This does not inspire a whole lot of confidence.

"Oh, well. It's only temporary. In the meantime, I've got a couple new languages to study. I just hope I can find someone close by that can help me with pronunciation. The rest is coming rather quickly. I'm actually really excited about it.

"I think that about does me for this letter. My room is in the attic and the sun is setting so I'm losing the best light. There's just something about switching light sources in the middle of a project that bothers me. I don't know what it is, so don't ask - but it's there.

"Until I hear from you next.

"Your friend,

"Daniel"

* * *

"Dear Daniel, 

"It's good to know you're settling in somewhat in your new place, although I still don't think it was right to move you so far. Don't you dare put up with any of those kids' crap if they give it to you. I don't care if your foster mother does think that's just the way kids are, you don't have to put up with it. I have to admit that attitude doesn't inspire me with confidence either.

"Gees, Daniel, how many languages do you know now, anyway? Have you made it your mission to learn them all or something? Don't get me wrong, it's impressive as, ahem, all get out that you know all that stuff, but just the idea of all those different kinds of words floating around in your head gives me a headache.

"As for Lauren, well, she wrote me a letter telling me she wouldn't be coming back to school this year. I guess her advisor sat her down and convinced her college just wasn't her thing. She said we'd had fun and she'd always remember me. Personally, I'm not sure she'll be able to keep her end of the bargain. Sara pretty much said the same thing when I stopped by to pick up a few of my things and see if she'd gotten a letter too. It seems Lauren left her high and dry in their two-bedroom, off-campus apartment. She shouldn't have too much trouble finding someone to sublet the other bedroom, but until then she's got to try to cover the whole rent and all the utilities by herself. Sara is not a happy camper.

"I suppose that answers your question about Sara, now that I think about it. Surprisingly enough, when I came back this summer, she didn't grate on my nerves nearly as much as she had before. In fact, it turns out we've got a few things in common. She's a huge hockey fan, loves to ski, and keeps a telescope in her closet that she drags out to a field just outside of town when the weather's just right - and sometimes even when it isn't. Would you believe she's even tried her hand at making fishing lures? I never realized she was that deep.

"I did finally get the information I wanted about the advanced piloting classes - thanks for the thumbs up on the cadet teaching thing, by the way - and I shouldn't have any problems getting in to them. In fact, my instructors were happy to hear that I was aiming for them. And for your information, I wasn't antagonizing the secretary's assistant. I was trying to encourage her. It's not my fault she couldn't handle it.

"Hopefully you'll be able to write again soon.

"Your friend,

"Jack"

* * *

"Dear Daniel, 

"Thank you for telling me about the Point Lobos State Reserve. It sounds beautiful. Just the kind of place I can imagine you going to find some peace and quiet when things get to be too much. Do you really have a special tree picked out where you read my letters? That's so flattering!

"I've finally picked out something here in Dover that I really like. There's this empty lot five and a half blocks away from my house where a bunch of the local boys get together and race their home made go-carts. They even built ramps and small hills as obstacles. I was satisfied to just watch for the first few days, until I realized a way to make the ramps sturdier and more exciting, while actually making them safer. They didn't want to listen to me at first - being a girl really sucks sometimes - but after one of them wrecked their go-cart when a ramp gave way, they were a little more inclined to hear me out. Ever since then, we've gotten along pretty well. They even let me use their go-carts. Dad said he'd help me build one in his spare time, as long as I didn't let it interfere with school. Like I'd let that happen.

"None of the boys I race with go to Dover High School with me. I'm not really that close to them, but at least I would have known them. I'm sure you've found this out for yourself, but being a freshman - and the youngest one of your class at that - really sets you up to be left out of everything, on top of a number one target for teasing. Did anyone try to tell you the "rules" on how you're supposed to carry a senior's books for them if they ask? Or that you always have to let an upperclassman cut ahead of you in line? Or even - and here's the best one - that you have to take the blame for one of them if they manage to get themselves in trouble when you're around? They seem to think that because I'm only thirteen I must be stupid. They're missing the point of being thirteen and in ninth grade.

"But what really sucks is that I can't hang out at the Skills Center near the base without being supervised because I'm not 14 yet. It doesn't matter that I'm in ninth grade. They have an auto shop there that I'd love to get a peek into - there's so much I'd be able to learn in there. And I wouldn't need Dad's help to build my go-cart. I love my dad, you know that, but he only has so much free time, and I'm sure there are other things he wants to do on top of putting together a motorized vehicle his daughter plans on using to travel around in circles as fast as she can go - taking the chance of sustaining some serious injuries along the way, of course.

"Hey, what's the fun in winning if there's no risk?

"Then again, I still wouldn't be allowed in the auto shop until I was 16. Those people are paranoid.

"There's an astronomy club at the high school I've been thinking about joining. I'm not really sure. I wouldn't want to volunteer to be treated like I usually do during the day for an extra three to four hours a week. But the subject is so cool, and it has so much to do with what I want to do when I grow up. One of these days I'm going to travel out there, to see the stars without anything but my helmet's visor in the way, to walk on the moon or maybe even a new colony on Mars. Can't you just picture it? Human beings from Earth setting foot on another planet in our lifetime. Pure bliss. And I will be one of the lucky ones.

"Well, I suppose I should bring this long letter to an end. I have a book I have to read for English. I put it off so it would be a challenge. Okay, that and my dad brought me home one of those home chemistry kits and there was an experiment inside that I just had to try. Of course, then I had to clean up after myself when I decided to see if I could substitute some things from the kitchen to get a bigger batch to work with. I barely got done before Dad showed up. So I need to do a bit of reading tonight to catch up.

"I can't wait for your next letter!

"Friends forever,

"Sam"

* * *

Daniel sat on the top step of the porch, shielded from view of the neighbors to either side by the large bushes that grew on both sides of the stairs. As usual, he hadn't come home with homework. His foster mother wasn't completely inclined to believe him on that score, but as he didn't have anything in his backpack he was obviously ignoring, she shooed him outside to play before dinner. "No child should be cooped up inside while the weather's nice," she declared. 

The twelve-year-old sighed. He'd rather be in his room reading the book Jack had sent him about the Seven Wonders of the World. But he'd humor Mrs. Mason. She was nice enough, if a bit distant. Daniel got the feeling she'd been a foster parent for a long time, and knew better than to get attached to any of the children that came and went through her life. She was playing it safe, and Daniel could more than understand the impulse. He just wished that didn't mean that he got lumped in with the other boys - obviously more inclined to violence and deceit than he could ever be - that she had experience with.

In the boy's hands was a letter he'd just received from Minnesota. Sergeant O'Neill had been kind enough to respond to his own letter he'd written on the spur of the moment after reading Jack's latest multi-pager. Daniel hadn't quite had the courage to read it yet; he knew he'd asked a big favor, or what could potentially be a big favor, and was afraid he'd been turned down. It wouldn't surprise him.

A laugh from down the street caught his attention. A pair of boys were riding slowly down the middle of the road, one of them with a large canvas bag slung over his shoulder and across his torso. Daniel watched as the two boys chatted away, the one absently tossing rolled up newspapers toward houses on either side of the street, neither of them paying any attention to where they landed. He caught the one headed toward the porch he sat on, considering things. If he really wanted to make this plan work, he'd need money. And since he was only twelve, there weren't a lot of options available to him to get it.

The sound of a wooden screen door banging shut next door brought Daniel out of his thoughts, and the loud sigh he heard coming from the same direction had him straightening and peeking over the hedge to see what was going on. His right-hand neighbor, an elderly lady who used a walker to get around - although every now and again Daniel had seen her with a cane - was standing at the edge of her porch staring at the tall lilac bush that grew at the far corner. As the boy watched, she shook her head resignedly before turning around and going back inside.

That was odd. Daniel pushed his glasses up on his nose and squinted at the object of the lady's scrutiny. He could just make out a rolled up newspaper caught in the outside upper branches of the plant, definitely outside the limited range of the grey-haired woman. But maybe not for a somewhat gangly twelve-year-old boy with an already strong sense of right and wrong. The lady paid for her newspapers; she deserved to read them all.

His mind made up, Daniel shoved his letter into his back pocket and jogged over to the next yard to consider his options. A good vertical jump should do it. Soon enough the paper was in the light brown-haired child's hand, and he was approaching his neighbor's front door to give it to her. A long moment later, the grey-haired woman answered the politely-pressed doorbell and eyed the young man she found there with a touch of confusion. "May I help you?" she asked, her soprano voice soft and somewhat shaky.

Daniel held out the paper and smiled shyly. "I saw this stuck in your lilac bush and got it out for you. You looked like you really wanted it."

"Why, thank you, young man," the lady replied, pleasantly surprised. "Please come in. I'll get you a glass of lemonade for your trouble."

"Oh, it was no trouble. I don't want you to have to go out of your way for me."

"I offered, dear. Besides, I could do with a glass myself. Please, come in."

Daniel saw the sincerity in the woman's expression and didn't have the heart to disappoint her. "Okay, thank you." He carefully stepped inside around the walker and waited for his hostess to close the door behind them. "Where would you like me to put the paper?" he asked.

"Bring it with you to the kitchen. That's where I like to do the crossword puzzle before supper," she instructed as she led the way to a room at the back of the house. "What's your name, dear?"

"Daniel Jackson," he answered promptly. "I live next door, toward the corner."

She nodded. "You're one of Mary's wards, aren't you? I haven't seen you before."

Daniel shook his head as he paused in the kitchen doorway. "Probably not, ma'am. I just moved here from Wheatland in the middle of June."

The lady looked at him with a wide smile from the refrigerator. "Such manners. It's so rare to see these days." She gestured toward the table. "Go ahead and sit down, dear. I'll have your lemonade ready in just a moment."

"Can I help?" Daniel asked once he'd set the paper down on the table.

"Bless you, dear, no." She set aside her walker and proceeded to get the two glasses ready. "My name is Lorraine Schlegel, by the way," she said as she slowly worked. "You can call me Lorraine."

"Thank you... Lorraine. You can call me Daniel." He sat as requested.

She gave him another smile. "Ah. No 'Dan' or 'Danny' for you I see." She laughed lightly when Daniel's gaze dropped to his lap. "I don't see anything wrong with that. Some people used to try to call me 'Lori' but I wouldn't hear of it. The only person to use that was my husband Wilbur, may he rest in peace. It was his special nickname for me."

Daniel brought his head up. "I can understand that."

"I can see you can." She put away the pitcher and took hold of a cane that had been leaning out of sight against the large appliance. "I have a feeling you understand a lot of things most people wouldn't expect you to."

There was really nothing to say to that. "Do you live here all by yourself?" Daniel asked as he watched the woman make her way over to him with a full glass, the other pushed to the edge of the counter closest to him.

Lorraine set down the lemonade in front of her visitor then took the few steps to retrieve her own. "Yes, I do," she said proudly as she sat down. "Not bad for seventy-two, wouldn't you say?" Her pale green eyes twinkled as she took a sip of her drink.

The boy couldn't help but smile. "Not bad at all." He also took a drink. "This is really good. Thank you."

"You're more than welcome, dear. Now, I may live alone, but my children and grandchildren come by and visit me pretty regularly." She sighed. "They always coddle me when they do. They seem to forget I've been doing this for a long time now, and am perfectly capable. I may need help with a few things, mostly yard work and the like, but I'm nowhere near ready to be shipped off to a home. This is my home."

"I don't blame you for not wanting to leave."

"You're such a good boy," Lorraine said with a smile. It faded slightly when Daniel leaned back with a blush forming on his cheeks and the sound of crinkling paper reached her ears. "What was that?"

Daniel blinked in surprise then realized what the answer was. "A letter I got today," he explained as he pulled it out. "I haven't had the courage to read it yet."

That confused the old woman. "What's in it that would make you so nervous?"

The young man considered his response for a moment. "I have a friend that I write to regularly that goes to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Next year is his last year. I wanted to surprise him by going to his graduation, to show him how proud of him I am for going after his dreams. So I wrote to his father in Minnesota to see if he could help me. I told him I'd try to earn the money I'd need, but I wasn't sure I could get a ticket without spoiling the surprise. I'd probably need help arranging the rest of the trip, too. This is his reply."

"So go ahead and read it. The worst he can say is no... but I don't think he did." Her eyes twinkled as she added extra encouragement with her gaze.

He took a deep breath. "Okay." Daniel carefully tore open the envelope and pulled out the paper inside, quickly scanning the words written there. He brought his head up slowly when he finished. "Wow," he said quietly.

"He didn't say no, did he?" Lorraine asked knowingly.

"He said he'd love to help, that he couldn't think of a better graduation present for Jack. If I can get the money together, he'll make the arrangements for me." Daniel shook his head in disbelief. "He even hinted that if I didn't have enough money he might be able to help me with that, too. I... I never expected this." The last was said in a barely-audible whisper.

"Life isn't always difficult, dear. You have to remember that." The grey-haired lady reached out a gentle hand and laid it on the child's arm. "Sometimes all you have to do is ask."

Daniel nodded. "Now I just have to earn the money." He met his hostess' gaze. "I'm not sure how I'm going to do that. I'm only twelve."

Lorraine considered the earnest young man in front of her. "I have an idea, if you're willing to hear it," she began, bringing both hands close to clasp her glass. Daniel indicated she should continue. "I told you my family visits regularly, and that's true, but sometimes quite a bit of time goes by between those visits. Normally when they stop by they take care of the lawn, mowing, raking, things like that. How about you keep an eye on things for me and take care of them when my family can't? And while you're at it, you can watch out for my newspaper and make sure it's in easy reach for me. I don't like going without my daily dose of crossword puzzles."

"I should be able to do that," Daniel agreed.

"I'll pay you five dollars a week. By the time your friend's graduation comes around you should have more than enough money."

At that, Daniel shook his head. "But there are going to be weeks at a time where I won't have to do anything. It wouldn't be right for me to take your money when I haven't done anything to deserve it."

The response assured Lorraine she was doing the right thing. "You'll be watching, taking preventative measures for me. That's something."

"Not enough to get paid that kind of money. I can't do that. How about I stop by every week I do some work for you and you pay me then?" He frowned. "Although I'm not sure it's right to pay me the same amount for one day's work as for five."

He really was a good boy, wasn't he? "Nonsense," she contradicted him quickly. "In this case, work is work. We'll do it your way. Come by on Saturdays after you've done some things for me and I'll have your money for you. I'll let you know when I need you for the lawn work."

Daniel sighed and gave in. "All right. You have a deal. I'll check for your paper every day, and you'll tell me when you need other things done. The weeks I do some work for you, I'll stop by on Saturday so you can pay me. Did I remember everything?"

"Sounds like it to me." She leaned forward slightly. "And you can come by any other time you like, to talk or just socialize."

The boy smiled. "Thank you for the offer, Lorraine. I'll remember that." He glanced at the clock on the wall. "I should get going. Mrs. Mason will be getting dinner ready."

"I'm sure she will," Lorraine said with a gentle smile as Daniel finished off the lemonade he'd been sipping at during their conversation. "I'll see you soon, dear, and thank you again for bringing me my paper."

"You're welcome. It really wasn't any trouble. Good bye." Daniel gave a little wave and saw himself out.

Lorraine watched him go, and was suddenly glad that she'd been able to find a way to help the child that was so unlike any other she'd ever met. He was special, and something told her her life would be better for his passage through it, however limited. With those positive thoughts running through her head, Lorraine got up to prepare her own supper, her previous smile still lingering on her lips.

* * *

Sam sighed and let her chin fall into her hand, her elbow resting on the kitchen table of her science lab partner's home. The girl might have been considered decent if she could have stopped feeling resentful about being matched up with "the kid" and talking down to the thirteen-year-old. "Now we take the calipers..." The older girl trailed off as she looked down her nose at the younger blonde. "You remember what calipers are, don't you?" 

"Which kind, Karen?" Sam asked sweetly, blinking innocently. "The measuring instrument, the bicycle brake, or the metal support for a person's leg?"

"Um, well," her partner stuttered briefly, then gathered herself together, "the measuring instrument, of course. Stop trying to change the subject."

God, Sam missed Daniel. They'd be finished with this geology lab already and doing something fun and interesting. As it was, the young teenager had completed all of the questions on her worksheet except for the three that required exact measurements while Karen had been giving her the same lecture and instructions their teacher had used in class that afternoon. "Can we just measure these stupid rocks and get on with it? My dad expects me home some time tonight."

Karen's wide-set hazel eyes narrowed as she frowned. "Just be glad I was willing to work with you at all. You'd be lost if I hadn't agreed to this."

"Really?" Before the other girl could do anything, Sam grabbed the calipers out of her hand and quickly measured the three rocks that had been part of their kit, carefully jotting down the figures in the appropriate places on the worksheet. "That finishes my worksheet. I filled out the rest while you played Mister Frank's parrot. Now that that's over, I'm going home. I should have an important letter waiting for me." The blonde threw her books into her shoulder bag and pulled on her winter jacket before she trounced out the door, ignoring the sputtering protests of her so-called partner.

A brisk three and a half blocks later found Sam storming into her own home. "Sammy, is that you?" her father called from the kitchen at the sound of the slamming door.

"Yeah, Dad, sorry about that," she called back, swiftly hanging up her jacket and slipping off her shoes in the designated place next to the door, her school bag joining her footwear. "Is supper ready?"

Jacob waited until his daughter had joined him before answering the question. "Almost. Did something happen? You were only gone for an hour."

Sam sighed. "There are times when I wonder if being smart is really as wonderful as it's made out to be."

"What happened?" he asked as he stirred the stew he was making.

"Oh, Karen talked down to me like I was stupid just because I'm younger and told me I was lucky anyone was willing to work with me at all," she replied with a scowl.

"Well, then, she doesn't understand."

"Obviously."

Jacob gave his daughter a closer once-over out of the corner of his eye. "So what's really wrong?"

Sam gave him a quick double-take. How did he know? "I really miss Daniel," she said softly.

Jacob nodded. "It must be really tough to have someone who knows exactly what you're going through, who can keep up with you intellectually, then have to leave them behind. I could see how close you were, Sammy. I know it has to hurt. I just wish I could do something about it."

"You would if you could. I know that." Sam sighed. "It's just hard to get used to." She looked into the pot her father was still stirring. "Should I set the table?"

"Yeah, for two. Your brother informed me he wouldn't be joining us."

Sam flinched at the sudden hardness of his tone and expression. "It's getting really bad, isn't it? With Mark, I mean."

Jacob moved the pot over to a different burner and switched off the one it had been on. "I don't want to talk about it, Sam. I'm just glad you were able to forgive me. I'm not sure how I'd be able to handle this if you hadn't." He took a deep breath and released it. "Now go get the dishes. I've got some bread warming up in the oven." He grabbed an oven mitt and opened the appliance. "Oh, that reminds me," he said as he pulled out the French loaf, "you got a letter from California today. Carmel, California." He smiled as he heard the clatter of silverware his statement produced.

"Really?" Sam asked breathlessly. "I thought I was just making that up when I told Karen I probably had an important letter waiting for me." She grinned. "I can't wait to read it!"

Jacob laughed and brought the bread over to the table. He was surprised to see Sam had already brought out a pitcher of apple juice for the glasses she'd added to each place setting. "Yeah, well, supper first, then reading. And I expect to be updated as soon as you're done. I like Daniel too remember."

Sam giggled. "Sure, Dad. Whatever you say."

The two Carters then sat down to enjoy their dinner together.

* * *

"I love watching it snow." 

"I bet you wouldn't say that if you knew you had to march around in it tomorrow morning."

"You take all the beauty out of it."

Jack shrugged, tightening his hold on the blonde whose waist he currently had his arms wrapped around, his arms clasped over her stomach. "Sundays do that to me. I know I have to go back to school tonight and work tomorrow."

"But you're here with me now." She leaned her head back against his shoulder to look up at him.

The brown-haired man grinned with a glint of wickedness in his eyes. "That I am." He brought his head down to let his lips meet hers. After a minute or two of passionate kissing, they finally separated. "I still don't see what you see in me, Sara. Although you're the only thing I have to thank Lauren for. If it hadn't been for her, we probably wouldn't have met."

Sara laughed. "Only she could crash her cart into someone else's at the supermarket and treat it like a horrible car accident. I'm surprised she didn't try to exchange insurance information with you."

"How do you know she didn't?"

Sara planted an elbow in Jack's ribs. "Cut it out. Why don't you just relax and watch the snow fall? It really is beautiful."

Jack gave a quiet laugh of his own then nuzzled his cheek into the shoulder-length hair of the woman he held and did as requested. "I wonder if it snows in Carmel," he murmured five minutes later.

Sara blinked in surprise. "What?"

"Carmel, California. I wonder if it snows out there. I guess I'll have to ask Daniel."

Unseen by Jack, Sara closed her eyes and frowned slightly. "I take it you got a letter recently?"

"Yeah. I sent back my reply just before I came over today. He says congratulations, by the way."

"Congratulations for what?" she asked warily.

"For us getting together. He was actually pretty happy for us."

Sara tore herself out of his arms and spun around to face him, eyes blazing. "Jack O'Neill, we agreed not to tell anyone! If my dad found out I was dating someone in the military..."

"He'd cut you off, I know. But Daniel would have figured it out soon enough anyway. I don't know how he did it, but he knows me better than almost anybody. And I hate the idea of lying to him. Besides, who's he going to tell? He doesn't know anyone in Colorado Springs. Heck, he barely knows anyone in the United States. Our secret's safe with him."

She met his sincere gaze and let out a large gust of air, her shoulders drooping as she did so. "You're probably right, but... Oh, I don't know, Jack. It's just that we agreed not to say anything to anyone, anyone at all. I at least wish you would have asked."

Jack reached out and gently brushed back some stray strands of hair. "You're right, I should have. But what's done is done, and your dad won't find out because of Daniel. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Sara sighed. "I know. You're just used to sharing everything with Daniel, I got that. Just... don't tell anyone else, okay? And tell Daniel thank you." A smile began to blossom on her features.

"I'll do that. For both." Jack grinned. "Now I believe we're missing a beautiful winter scene playing out on the other side of your living room window. And I know my arms are missing the feel of a beautiful blonde."

Sara stepped closer and gave her boyfriend another lingering kiss, then turned around and resumed her place inside his embrace. The two of them stood together and watched the snow fall, reveling in each other's company.

* * *

Christmas came and went uneventfully that year, bringing to Daniel a star map poster from Jack and a carved wooden box to store his special personal items from Sam. He decided to store his letters from his two best friends in it. For his part he sent Sam a drawing of the young blonde as he remembered her, her hair streaming out behind her, her arms reaching out to cup a brightly shining star. Underneath he'd written, "Reach for the stars, for one day you may hold them in your grasp." Jack was sent a drawing of the Babylonian god Marduk, in his traditional representation as a man with four eyes and four ears, battling the monster Tiamat, as well as the myth behind the picture. All in all, Daniel felt it had been a good holiday. 

The second half of the school year practically flew by, and one more time at the end of it Daniel was informed he would be moving to a new foster home, this one in the nearby city of Seaside. Supposedly his new foster parents were hoping to find a child they could adopt, and his social worker immediately thought of him. Daniel refused to get his hopes up. The last time had been too painful.

School had been out for a week when the day arrived for him to leave the Masons' home. "Are you sure you have everything?" John Mason asked kindly, gesturing to the two duffle bags and single backpack that rested at Daniel's feet as he stood on the porch waiting for Miss Janice Drake, his social worker, to come pick him up.

"Yes, sir," Daniel replied quietly.

"We enjoyed having you here, you know," the man added, running a hand through his short brown hair that was peppered with grey.

"Thank you. It was nice here."

"Daniel," Mary Mason said as she came to the front door behind him, "Mrs. Schlegel called. She said she'd like you to come over for a minute if you had the time. I think she wants to say goodbye."

John smiled. "Probably wants to thank you, too, for all the work you did for her this year. That was really nice of you."

Daniel blushed and ducked his head. "I didn't do that much really. Her family did the majority of it. I mainly just made sure she got her newspaper." He lifted his eyes and glanced at the couple who looked at him expectantly. "I should go over there before Miss Drake comes. I won't be too long."

"We'll let her know where you are if she gets here before you get back," Mrs. Mason assured him.

A brief knock at the neighbor's door quickly had it opening to reveal Lorraine Schlegel, smiling sadly. "I was hoping you'd be over before you left."

"I'm glad I get a chance to say goodbye. It's been really good to know you while I was here." Daniel smiled. He hadn't spent a lot of time in this house, but what time he did spend had been pleasant. "Thank you for giving me a way to get to Colorado Springs."

"It was my pleasure, Daniel. You're a good boy. You deserve to get the things you want in life." She held out an envelope Daniel hadn't noticed before. "Take this. Consider it a going-away gift. But don't open it until you get to your new foster home."

Daniel blinked in surprise. "Okay, Lorraine, if that's what you want. Thank you. You didn't have to get me anything."

"That's why it's called a gift, Daniel." She looked up as a car pulled into the Masons' driveway. "I think your ride is here. You need to go."

"Yeah, I guess so. Thanks again, Lorraine. It really has been good to know you."

"And it's been wonderful knowing you." She reached out and took the boy into a quick hug which was sincerely returned. "Now go," she said once she'd pulled back. "They're waiting for you."

Daniel gave her one last smile. "Goodbye, Lorraine."

"Goodbye, Daniel."

Daniel quickly returned to pick up his bags and give a quick farewell to his foster parents before getting into Miss Drake's car and leaving for Seaside. Fifteen minutes later thanks to traffic had them pulling up to a house in the new city. Daniel took in the white house with the dark blue trim around the windows, the well-trimmed lawn, and immaculately-tended flower beds to either side of the stairs to the porch and sighed. It was a nice enough place, with the potential for permanency. Against his wishes hope began to blossom in his heart.

A couple came out of the front door then, the man around six feet tall with strawberry blonde hair that hung to his shoulders and the woman around five-foot-six with straight black hair that hung to her waist. Their faces were open and smiling, and Daniel let himself return the expression. "This must be Daniel," the woman said as Miss Drake finished retrieving the boy's bags out of her trunk. "My name is Gina Waller, and this is my husband Martin. Welcome to our home." She offered her hand in greeting.

Daniel shook it. "Thank you," he said softly. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Another twenty minutes filled with a tour of the house and introductions to the four other children who lived there concluded with Daniel dropping off his bags in the small room that would serve as his bedroom while he was there. It was at the end of the upstairs hallway, with a view of the backyard, and for whatever reason Daniel loved it. He unpacked while the Wallers and Miss Drake went downstairs to talk.

"One thing you'll have to keep in mind is that Daniel will be receiving letters from a couple of friends on quite a regular basis," Janice was telling the couple as Daniel reached the base of the stairs unnoticed. "I've been told he's very close to them."

"Are you sure that's absolutely necessary? I'm not sure I'm comfortable with him giving our address to complete strangers," Martin said as Daniel lowered himself to sit on the bottom step. The child was aware that eavesdropping was horribly impolite, and would have let his presence be known in other circumstances, but that last comment made him want to know just what was going on. And he knew that nothing more of importance would be said in front of him.

"According to his file, these letters have been exchanged for years with nothing detrimental happening. In fact, I'd like to encourage these kinds of relationships. They provide a sense of permanency for him. That's something he hasn't truly had since he lost his parents."

There was a brief moment of silence. "But isn't that what we're for?" Gina asked.

Another moment of silence. "Well, yes, that's my hope. You've said you're looking for a child to adopt. Daniel is a very deserving child. He just happens to have made a couple of friends previous to this placement." The tone of Janice's voice was touched with confusion.

"What can you tell us about these friends of his?" Gina asked. Daniel could just hear the implicit disapproval.

"Well, one is a cadet at the Air Force Academy from what Daniel has told me, and the other is the daughter of an Air Force officer. I guess it's just an amazing coincidence that they both have connections to the Air Force..."

The smiling tone was cut off by a sharp snort. "The military? Daniel has military connections? It figures. I suppose he wants to join up as soon as he can, am I right?" There was nothing implicit about Martin's disgust. Daniel was nearly bowled over by it.

"Daniel hasn't mentioned anything about wanting to join the military," Miss Drake said, obviously stunned by the attitude. "Are you sure you're willing to take Daniel? I can find a different placement for him."

"I suppose it doesn't hurt for you to look," Gina said thoughtfully, "but we'll see how well we get along in the meantime. I still don't know about those letters though."

Daniel had to fight every urge in his body to burst into the living room and demand his right to stay in contact with his friends. Every ounce of hope he'd had on his arrival had dissipated like fog in the sun. He wouldn't be staying here on a permanent basis. He'd be lucky if he made it through the summer. And he found he really wasn't bothered by the prospect.

"I'm afraid I've already given Daniel your address, so I'm sure he's given it to his friends. But there shouldn't be any problems. Like I said, there haven't been any before. If there are, be sure to let me know." Janice was just as flabbergasted as Daniel was. The young man knew she'd tried to give him a chance at finding a permanent home, and was grateful for the effort. It was just too bad it had all fallen apart even before it got started.

At the sound of the Wallers' grudging acceptance, Daniel rose and silently returned to his room. It looked like they wouldn't be interfering with Jack and Sam's letters, but he'd warn them just in case. Again he was left with just his two distant friends to rely on; this was no place for him. He was just glad he hadn't had too much of a build up before finding out the truth about his latest foster parents. It might have been devastating. And now, with any luck, Miss Drake would find him a better place, a better fit.

With a sigh, Daniel let his gaze drift around the room as he sat on his bed. It finally settled on a white envelope sticking out of the pocket of the light jacket he'd been wearing when he arrived. He stared at it for a long moment before remembering where it had come from; it was Lorraine's going-away gift. He retrieved it and sat back on his bed, carefully tearing it open once he'd done so. Inside was a sight that stunned him. In the folds of a piece of paper with a short letter written on it were three bills: a hundred, a twenty, and a ten. Daniel read the note hoping for some kind of explanation.

"Dear Daniel,

"As you can tell by what fell out when you opened this letter, I decided to honor my agreement with you as I originally proposed it. I know how close of an eye you kept on me during the ten months you were here. I know how many times you didn't take credit for moving my paper from the steps to the porch itself, just to make things easier for me.

"What you probably don't realize I ever noticed were the times you switched your paper for mine when it had fallen into a puddle on my porch, or had ended up in the rain. Or when you chased my other neighbor's dog away, remembering my allergies. Or when you'd come over and weed my garden and flower beds when my grandsons would forget. You never expected to be paid for those things. I don't understand why you would do that, but it just went to show what a good boy you are.

"Use this money for your trip. Go and see your friend graduate. If he's anywhere near as good a boy as you, he deserves it just as much as you do. And thank you one last time. I'll remember you always.

"Sincerely,

"Lorraine"

Daniel blinked a few times as he folded up the letter, then placed it with the rest of the special letters in his wooden box. That was where he also stashed his Colorado Springs trip money, so he put that away there as well. He was surprised that his random acts of kindness had been noticed; he thought he'd been careful about not letting himself be seen. He hadn't considered the extra chores part of the deal since she hadn't asked him to do them. But it felt good to be appreciated, to be approved of, especially after what he'd just overheard. Maybe life wasn't so bad after all.

With a smile on his lips and a lightening of his heart, Daniel took his notebook and pen out from his backpack and proceeded to write to Jack and Sam. He was determined to focus on the good things in his life. For now he'd let the future unfold as it may.


	7. Chapter 7

Just a couple quick ANs: first, a huge THANK YOU to all of my readers out there! I appreciate each and every one of you! You guys make me _so_ happy I decided to post here. Second, this chapter will have to tide everyone over for the weekend, I'm afraid. With friends in play performances, a farewell party, a driver's license renewal, karaoke, and Little Shop of Horrors rehearsal (I'm the voice of Audrey II, the plant), I'm going to be a busy bee for the next three days. I hope everyone sticks with me for the whole run of this one, no matter where we end up going.

And now for your regularly scheduled chapter of A Road Not Taken...

Chapter Seven

* * *

"Dear Daniel, 

"Has your social worker found you a new place yet? I hate the thought of you having to put up with that couple any longer than necessary. You'd think after four years of us writing back and forth - a year for you and Sam - that people would get the idea that we're not going to suddenly show up and rape and pillage the town. And what's wrong with you having friends before you get someplace? You think they'd want that. Proves you're normal. Well, as normal as a super genius like you can get. I know I've said it before, but it still ticks me off.

"Oh, and if the Wallers are reading this right now, let me say this. You can take your attitude about the military and shove it where the sun doesn't shine. If you're going to hold my career choice, and that of Sam's father, against Daniel, you don't deserve him anyway. He's way too good for you.

"There. I feel better. For now, at any rate.

"Sara's been working up the courage to tell her father about me. I didn't tell you this before, but he's another one with a thing against the military. He's been filling in the gaps money-wise for her while she's been going to college, and she couldn't afford to be cut off. Now that she's in her senior year, she figures it's about time to let him know. I'm pretty happy about getting things out in the open. We've been getting serious, and I'd like him to know if not completely approve. I guess there's a traditional streak in me I didn't realize I had.

"Thinking of traditions, I invited Sara to come to Minnesota with me for Thanksgiving next week. Her family's never done anything for the holiday, and now that Sara and her sisters are out of the house they've taken to going on vacations while the girls treat it like another Spring Break. So this year she'll be coming with me to meet my family. Well, most of it. My mom will be spending the time with her boyfriend's family in Chicago of course. We'll have to take a trip to Chicago one of these days for them to meet. Then again, Mom should be coming to graduation in June, so they can meet then. We'll see.

"Thinking of graduation, I can't believe this is my last year. I'm really looking forward to flight school and everything. I only wish you could be here. If it wasn't for you I might not be here today. You gave me the kick in the butt I needed right when I needed it. If I haven't said it before, let me say it now: thank you.

"Okay, enough of the mushy stuff. I need to get back to my classwork before lights out. I'm not sure if we'll get another exchange in before next week, so happy Thanksgiving just in case. I'll hear from you again soon.

"Your friend,

"Jack"

* * *

The day after Christmas break started, Daniel snuck to the phone. The Wallers were both at work, and the other foster children were at various other people's houses around the neighborhood. He'd waited for them to leave; he didn't want an audience for his conversation. "Could I speak to Miss Janice Drake please?" he asked politely once the other end had been picked up. 

There was a bit of a pause. "Janice Drake speaking. How may I help you?"

"Miss Drake? This is Daniel Jackson."

"Daniel? Is there something wrong?"

Daniel felt guilty for worrying the lady who kept trying to do the right thing for him. "Well, not exactly. I did have a couple of things I wanted to speak with you about though."

"Oh! Well, that's just fine, Daniel. What did you need?"

The boy with the dark blond hair that almost continually fell into his eyes took a deep breath before proceeding. "My friend Jack is graduating from the Air Force Academy in June. Would it be possible for me to go to Colorado Springs for it?"

There was a stunned moment of silence. "Well, I'm... I'm not sure, Daniel..."

"I've already written to Jack's father, Master Sergeant Patrick O'Neill, and he said he'd be willing to let me stay with them while I'm there. He'd meet me at the airport when I got there and drop me off when it was time to go home. He got an extra ticket for me. He even said I could give you his number if you needed to discuss it with him before giving me your permission." Daniel was nearly breathless when he finished his plea.

There was another stunned moment of silence. "Well, it sounds like you've thought of pretty much everything, at least that I can think of right off the top of my head. This is highly irregular, I hope you know that."

Daniel swallowed nervously, his grip tightening on the plastic casing of the receiver. "I... I know, Miss Drake. But I really want to go. It's supposed to be a surprise for Jack, part of my graduation present to him. I'm so proud of him, Miss Drake. I want to be able to tell him that in person."

Janice sighed. "I can't promise anything, Daniel, but give me Sergeant O'Neill's telephone number and I'll see what I can do." Daniel did so, his tongue nearly tripping over the numbers in his excited haste. "Now, you said you had a couple of things you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Right." He took another deep breath and released it. "I overheard something last night. Are you close to finding me another placement?"

"I have it narrowed down to two possibilities. Why? What did you hear?"

"The Wallers have decided which one of us they want to adopt. They want Jeffrey Larson. They're going to tell him on Christmas, then break the news to the rest of us the next day. As soon as they start the paperwork they're going to let you know that they don't want to be foster parents anymore. They want to be able to focus their attention on their new son." It took everything he had to keep his voice from breaking. As much as he really didn't want to stay there, it was still hard to be rejected like that. "I don't want to be here for that. I want to be gone as soon as possible. If you could set it up for today, I wouldn't mind."

"Now, Daniel..."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Daniel said quickly. "I know you can't do it today. I didn't mean it like that. I was just giving an example to prove how much I wanted to go. You've been really nice to me so far, and I really appreciate it. Please, just get a new placement as soon as you can. I can wait. It's almost Christmas, and I'm sure you have a lot of work to do before your holiday. I've taken enough of your time."

"Daniel," Janice said forcefully, trying to catch his attention before he hung up. "I will do what I can. I promise. You're not asking for too much. We'll see how fast we can make the system go, all right?"

Daniel gave a small sniff. "All right. Thank you, Miss Drake."

The woman on the other end gave another sigh. "You're more than welcome, Daniel. And thank you for letting me know what's going on there. I needed to know that."

"Sure, Miss Drake."

"I'll be talking to you soon. Just hold on until then, all right?"

"All right. Goodbye, Miss Drake."

"Goodbye, Daniel."

Daniel hung up the phone and went up to his room. He flopped onto his bed and curled up on his side, staring at the far wall. He'd done what he could. Now he just needed to wait and see what Miss Drake could do.

* * *

"Dear Sam, 

"I'm glad your move to Ohio went well. I was hoping it would. And that hill where you can see the stars so clearly sounds wonderful. It's good to know your father is doing well, and that you're still talking to Mark even though he's in his last semester of high school. Are things any better between him and your dad? It seems like such a shame that they can't see eye to eye.

"It took me a while, but I think I've finally managed to settle into my latest foster home. The Justmans were happy to take me in the day before Christmas, but I just couldn't get comfortable until now. It worries me a little that it took a month and a half. Do you think there's something wrong with me? I'm half afraid that means there's something wrong here. I've overheard a few arguments, but they didn't seem too serious. Maybe what happened with the Wallers just has me on edge.

"I'm glad I got to stay in Seaside. I'd just gotten used to the school, and a few of my teachers are really nice. It's still hard being as young as I am, but that would happen anywhere, and adding the stigma of the new kid would make things that much worse. How do they run classes where you are, Sam? Here we get syllabi that list all the homework we're going to get over the semester. I like that because I can work ahead when I get bored and need something to do. I still read and work on my language skills, but every now and again it feels good to be doing something I know isn't purely for leisure.

"I just got the best news of all when I got home from school today, Sam. Miss Drake was here, and she told me that I'm going to be able to go to Colorado Springs in June for Jack's graduation! Isn't that great? I'll get to surprise him just like I wanted, and like he did for me back when I was living with the Michaels in New York. I finished a letter to Sergeant O'Neill just before I started this one, letting him know that we can finalize our plans, although I have a feeling Miss Drake told him already. I'm so excited, Sam! This is going to be great!

"I need to go now, Sam. Mrs. Justman called up and let me know that supper was ready. Write me soon and fill me in on how life is going in Ohio. I can't wait to hear everything.

"Friends always,

"Daniel"

* * *

The beginning of June was beautiful that year, and Jack couldn't have wished for better weather for his graduation. The ceremony itself went by in a blur, the only thing he truly remembered doing was looking for his family in the crowd of onlookers. He never did find them. 

Finally the command rang out, "Graduates, dismissed!" Jack joined the rest of his classmates in throwing his hat into the air, barely managing to catch it without getting clocked by anyone else's. He laughed as he watched some of the others search for where their hats had landed, and laughed even harder when he saw some people looking to trade the hats they held for the ones that belonged to them.

After a few minutes everything seemed to sort itself out, and the crowd began to thin even as it grew with the addition of the family and friends that had bore witness. Jack kept his eyes open and finally saw a couple of the people he was looking for. "Dad!" he called out, waving.

Patrick O'Neill waved back, grinning, and led his clan over to the current bright star. When he and his children stepped up to Jack, the older man, clad in his dress uniform, snapped to attention and saluted the newly-minted second lieutenant. Jack, shock shaping his features, sharply returned it before being pulled into a fierce embrace. "I'm proud of you, son. I'm so damned proud of you."

"Thanks, Dad. That means a lot."

There were hugs all around once the father and son pair broke apart, Jack's mother joining the crowd toward the end of the rounds with Sara right behind her. "We're all very proud of you, Jack," his mom whispered in his ear before letting him go.

"I'm really glad you could all be here," Jack said, draping his left arm around Sara's shoulders. "This is the greatest. The only thing that could have made it better would be if Daniel could have been here." His happy smile turned wistful.

Patrick shook his head. "You know, I wish I would have thought of that, son."

Jack shrugged. "It's okay, Dad."

"But then again, I didn't have to."

As Jack stared at him in confusion, there was a small commotion out of the corner of his eye to the right. He turned his head in time to see a lanky young teenager about five-foot-eight inches tall, with shaggy dark blond hair that had lightened somewhat in the sun, step out from the crowd that milled around his family and push up the dull gold-framed glasses that rested on the almost familiar nose. There was a bright, shy smile that was aimed at him that only somewhat off-set the aura of nervousness behind it. But the truly identifying feature of the young man standing before the new Air Force officer were the brilliant blue eyes that held his own. "Daniel?" Jack queried in a whisper, his arm falling away from his girlfriend and back to his side. "Daniel, is that you?"

The kid's smile grew stronger and wider. "Surprise, Jack. Happy graduation." Daniel was going to say more, but was cut off when Jack pulled him into as fierce an embrace as Patrick had given _him_ only moments before.

"Oh my God, Daniel," Jack murmured into his friend's hair. "You don't know how good it is to see you, to see for myself that you're really okay."

"Of course I'm okay, Jack. I wouldn't lie to you," Daniel reassured him as he returned the hug full measure.

"Never thought you would, Danny-boy, but I have a feeling your definition of okay and mine are two completely different things."

They pulled apart and shared the grins that didn't seem to want to fade in the slightest. "I'm really proud of you, Jack. I wanted to tell you that in person."

Jack reached out and ruffled the locks that fell into the bright blue eyes. "That means a lot, Daniel, a whole lot." He laughed at the mock scowl his action had produced.

"This is partially _my_ present, too," the older airman said proudly, happy with the way things had turned out.

"You all knew about this, didn't you?" Jack accused.

His siblings shared an innocent look that fooled no one. "Who, us?" Chris asked, splaying a hand over his chest. "What would make you think that?"

Beth crossed her arms over her chest. "It figures that he'd blame us without proof. He's been doing it all his life!"

Gabriel looked at the youngest of the six O'Neills critically. "You know, I don't think he's really all that upset, so I for one refuse to even act guilty."

Their mother rolled her eyes. "I never thought my children would end up being so melodramatic."

"You are kidding, aren't you, Mom?" Gabriel aimed at her, his eyebrows raised. "We've always been like this." At that, all of them laughed.

"You know, if it makes you feel any better, I didn't know about Daniel until we sat down this morning," Sara said, reaching out to slip her hand into Jack's.

"You always make me feel better," Jack said with a soft smile before giving her a quick peck on the lips.

Patrick watched the interplay between the couple and couldn't help but notice the look Sara shot toward Daniel once Jack had straightened. "You have your camera with you, don't you, Carolyn?" At her nod, he gestured to Jack. "Why don't you organize some family shots while I have a few words with the proud grad? We'll mix and match everybody as we go along." He gave Daniel a wink to tell him he was to be included as well, then walked off with Jack on his heels.

Jack waited until they were out of earshot before satisfying his curiosity. "What's going on, Dad? What did you want to talk about that you couldn't say in front of everyone else?"

His father grinned. "I always knew that dumb kid routine was just that." His smile softened. "First, I want you to know that Daniel worked very hard to be able to come here for this. He paid for his part of the trip himself. All I had to do was pick him up at the airport, let him stay with us at the hotel, help him out with his meals, and agree to take him back to the airport when it's time for him to head back. He took care of all the arrangements himself, and he did it all for you. I don't want you to take it for granted."

"No way, Dad. Even if he hadn't paid for a cent I'd be grateful he was here. But the fact that it meant enough to him to go through that kind of effort..." Jack shook his head in disbelief. "It's astounded me from day one how seriously he takes his friendships. I know how privileged I am to be considered that way, you don't have to worry about that."

Now the older man's smile faded away. "The other thing I wanted to tell you is that you should be aware that I think Sara's a little jealous of your relationship with Daniel. She hasn't had a chance to talk with him yet - they were barely even introduced before the graduation ceremony started - but she's been watching him very carefully. After you kissed her just now, she looked at him to gauge his reaction." He held up a hand to stop the protest he could see forming on his son's lips. "I'm not trying to say anything bad about Sara, Jack. I like her. But you've been close to Daniel for about five years now. You and Sara have only been together for not even two. I just wanted to warn you, to make you aware of how she's feeling. I wanted to make sure you knew so that you could do something about it before it became a problem." He reached out a hand and clapped a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Catching problems before they become serious can save a relationship, Jack. Trust me. I speak from experience." He threw a look filled with subdued longing toward the woman who was still trying to find the best angle to take advantage of the light.

Jack sighed. "Okay, Dad. I'll see what I can do."

"That's all I ask. Now let's get back to the others."

While the father and son pair were talking, Daniel took a shy step over to stand next to Sara. "Hi," he said quietly, a small smile on his face. "We didn't really get to talk before, but I wanted to thank you."

Sara blinked in surprise. "Thank me? For what?"

The teenager's smile grew wider. "For making Jack so happy. He's the happiest I've ever known him to be. It's been all over his letters since he started his third year at the Academy. I couldn't ask for anything more for him."

The woman's jaw dropped. "You mean you're not jealous of our relationship?"

"Why should I be?" Daniel asked with a shrug. "He still writes me as often as he ever did, and we still talk the way we used to. He's there for me when I need him. Now he's just happier."

"I would have thought you'd think I might take him away from you."

"Well, to be perfectly honest, the thought did cross my mind a moment or two when I realized how much of his letters was about you. But then I realized that he was still sharing it with me, his pride in you, his happiness at being with you. There was nothing to be jealous of. I was still a part of his life. There's more than enough room for both of us. Jack has a pretty big heart, as much as he likes to hide it."

Sara stared for a long moment at this amazing kid. She knew she wouldn't have been able to make that kind of distinction when she had been his age. Suddenly she knew there was nothing to fear from Jack's friendship with Daniel. It would probably only strengthen what she had with him. "He does, doesn't he?" she said finally, smiling sincerely. "I'm glad I'm sharing the space with someone like you. You've been good for him, too."

Before the embarrassed young man could respond, Jack and his father returned. "So, Carolyn, ready yet?" Patrick asked, rubbing his hands together.

"I just need the kids to stand right over there," Carolyn said decisively, pointing to a spot slightly to her left and making it more than apparent that her wishy-washiness had been a ploy to stall for time. "I can get the flag in the background."

Three hours later, after every combination Carolyn could come up with had been immortalized on film and the group of them had shared a late lunch, Jack and Daniel took a casual stroll around the streets of Colorado Springs. "This is a nice city," Daniel commented, glancing up at the mountains that always loomed in the background.

Jack nodded. "I've really grown to like it here. And it's not just because of Sara."

"It wouldn't matter if it was, Jack. I like her. She's been good for you."

"You really think so?" Jack was surprised by the seeking of approval he heard in his tone.

Daniel was, too. "Are you asking for my okay?"

Jack frowned as he thought about it. "Not really, I guess, but it would be nice to know I have it. Your opinion matters."

Daniel gave his friend a surprised smile. "Thank you, Jack. That means a lot." The smile changed into a grin. "And I guess it's okay. You can stay with Sara. I don't mind."

"You little..." Jack growled before putting Daniel into a head lock and giving him a severe noogie. "Just remember, you deserve this!" he cried over the teenager's laughing protests.

"You know, I think that's the first time anyone's done that to me and I thought it was funny," Daniel said once he'd been released, continuing their walk and trying to get his hair back into some kind of order.

"That doesn't surprise me." Jack watched the futile attempt for half a block, then decided to change the subject. "My dad told me you went through a lot of trouble to come here. What kind of job did you get to earn all the money you needed?"

Daniel blinked at his friend, surprised he'd been told. "I, um, looked out for an elderly neighbor while I was in Carmel. Made sure she could reach her paper, did some yard work when her family couldn't, that sort of thing. It wasn't that big of a deal."

Jack shook his head. "I bet it was a bigger deal than you realize, Daniel. Did that lady live alone?"

"Yeah. Her family came by pretty regularly to visit, though."

"But she still lived alone. I bet your visits, however rare they were, and all the little things I'm sure you did for her, really brightened up her days. My mom's mom was like that, fiercely independent and living alone. But you should have seen her face light up whenever we'd visit. It meant something, Daniel. Don't ever doubt it." Jack smiled a touch wistfully.

"I take it she's gone now?" Daniel asked gently.

Jack nodded. "She died just after we moved to Minnesota, when I was eight. She was a great lady."

Daniel gave him a tiny smile. "That doesn't surprise me. She was _your_ grandmother."

The older young man cleared his throat. "I'm surprised your foster parents let you come."

Daniel sighed. "My new foster parents didn't really have much say in it. I've only been there for about two weeks. But I'd made all the arrangements with Miss Drake, my social worker, so she let them know when I was placed there."

"So what happened to the Justmans?"

"They filed for divorce. All the kids there got placed in new homes. I decided to bring along my new address instead of sending it in a letter." Daniel dug in one of the pockets of his dress slacks and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He handed it to his friend. "I suppose you'll have a new address soon, too."

Jack nodded as he put the slip into a pocket in his dress jacket. "I've got pilot training to go through before I know anything permanently, but I'll make sure you know as soon as I do."

"Thanks, Jack."

"So, now that we've taken care of all the serious stuff, just how many new languages has the Great Brain managed to shove in his giant head?"

"Wonderful imagery, Jack," Daniel groused, his expression a mix between irritation and amusement.

The two of them continued to banter back and forth for the rest of their walk, the battle of wits relatively even. They thoroughly enjoyed themselves. And for the rest of the time Daniel was in Colorado Springs, the two friends grew closer, growing and maturing just as both halves of the friendship had done.

* * *

"Dear Daniel, 

"I was happy to get your latest letter - it's been a while since I got one. I was almost starting to get worried. Although, thinking of being worried, you haven't mentioned much of anything about your foster family. Is your foster brother still picking on you? Have you told your foster parents about the big bully? Or maybe your social worker? I'm sure someone can help you get him off your case. You really shouldn't have to put up with that kind of stuff.

"I'm afraid this won't be a long letter this time. Dad's taking me on a camping trip for the weekend, and I just wanted to make sure I replied right away. I'm beginning to think there might be a move on the horizon, and he's trying to butter me up before he springs the news. I'm just hoping that if it's got to happen it'll happen during Christmas break. I hate it when we move in the middle of the semester. But you knew that.

"I guess Mark has taken things to the next step with his girlfriend Julie, as fast as that sounds. He proposed about a week ago and she said yes. They set a date - June 26, 1982, a month or so after they graduate. I just hope he invites Dad. No matter what's happened between them, they're still father and son.

"School's been pretty boring. I'm on the Science Quiz Bowl team, and practices have been interesting. I guess. Sometimes it feels like I'm light years ahead of these people. Then I feel guilty for thinking that way. I'm not better than them, just smarter. It's not their fault. Although a few of them have kept me running to keep ahead. I like that. Keeps me on my toes.

"Well, write again soon and let me know what's going on with you. I eagerly await your next letter!

"Friends forever,

"Sam"

* * *

Daniel paused outside the huge house he was currently calling home, tugging the zipper of his jacket up a little higher and readjusting the heavy backpack on his back. He'd come straight home from school as expected of him, but it always took him a little more each day to force himself to step inside. It was a beautiful home, nearly a mansion, but a gilded cage was still a cage. 

"Yo, Jackson!" a deep taunting voice called out from the suddenly open front door. "You gonna spend all night out there?"

Blue eyes closed behind glasses whose prescription had recently been updated. And this would be one of the reasons he considered this place a cage. "No, Heath, I'm coming in." Five strides and seven steps later and he was eye to eye with the older boy a year ahead of him in school. Well, the better descriptor might be eye to chin...

"You really think I'm just going to let you waltz on in, don't you?" Heath said in a low, menacing growl.

"Well, I'd prefer if you did," Daniel said quietly.

"You got any lunch money left?"

"What if I told you no?"

The bigger teenager cocked his head as if he were considering it. "I think I'd have to shake you down and check if you were lying. And I doubt you'd find the experience pleasant."

Daniel silently dug into a pocket and pulled out a dollar bill. "Happy now?" he said as he handed it over with a sharp glare.

Heath gave the younger child a long once-over and grinned. "Deliriously. You may now enter." He gave a mock bow and gestured grandly toward the large foyer behind him.

Daniel sighed and walked inside, pausing long enough once he'd done so to let Heath pass him and head for whatever destination he had in mind. Once the older foster child was out of sight, the blond teenager let his eyes travel around the entrance hall. It didn't matter that he'd been living there for the past four months; the extravagance of the house designed and built for the owner of one of the most successful factories in the area was still overwhelming. There was an oak staircase leading to the second floor from a matching hard wood floor covered by elaborate Persian rugs that Daniel could tell were authentic. A balcony with a beautifully carved railing lined three of the four walls, with four doors that opened onto it. A hall led straight back from the top of the stairs, going past a large bathroom on the right and an expansive linen closet on the left, and finally ending at the master bedroom that took up the back part of the second floor. Daniel had only seen that room once, when he'd been given a tour of the house upon his arrival. He had no desire to see it again.

His eyes dropping back to the first floor, Daniel noted the oak door with the etched oval window in the center off to his left that led to the sun room that ran along the length of that side of the house. No one would be in there; the children weren't allowed to play anywhere near there. The open archway to the left of the stairs led to the dining room, and he could hear Mrs. Higgins setting the table. The open archway to the right of the stairs led to the huge living room that took up most of the space on that side of the house. Again, none of the children would be in either of those rooms, not yet. It was always homework until supper, then quiet entertainment activities until it was time for bed at nine o'clock - ten for the high school kids. The weekends were a bit freer in that regard with a uniform bedtime of midnight.

Daniel finally shrugged off his backpack and put away his jacket in the entryway closet on the living room side of the foyer after he heard his foster mother move back into the massive kitchen in the back of the building. As quietly as he could he picked up his bag and went up the stairs to his bedroom. He was as quick as he'd ever been, and so didn't have homework, but he used a lot of his time to follow along with the syllabi he'd previously described to Sam and do the rest of what would be expected of him that semester. Life was easier that way.

The foster brother he shared a room with was missing that afternoon - most likely in one of the other bedrooms chatting with one of the others - leaving Daniel alone as usual. Things stayed that way until the sound of the front door closing quite loudly echoed through the house. Daniel swiftly put his books away and sat on his bed waiting for the call to supper. It came not long after.

Mr. Higgins was a large man. His size made it easy to see how he had managed to take a small one-or-two-man operation - it was something having to do with metalworking of some kind, but Daniel wasn't sure quite what - and turn it into the successful company with new factories in some of the surrounding communities that it now was. This was a man used to hard physical labor. And he was as imposing as his bulk would suggest. Daniel always left the table as soon as he was able and retreated to the safety of his room. There he spent the nights either doing more homework or reading books brought home from the school library.

That night was no exception. Daniel had chosen to bring home a book on the exploits of Marco Polo, the idea of the merchant-turned-explorer and his impressions of the new civilizations he traveled through - so alien to what he knew - struck a chord deep within him. After a couple hours and half of the thick book, the teenager reluctantly marked his page and slipped out into the hall to make his way to the bathroom. He was halfway to the hall when stomping footsteps steadily approached the balcony from the direction of Daniel's destination.

Daniel froze in place when Heath appeared suddenly. "You know, I'm only a couple of months away from turning eighteen!" he shouted back over his shoulder. "When I do, I'll be out of here so fast it'll make your head spin! And there's nothing you can do about it!"

_No, no, not this, anything but this_, Daniel thought with growing panic, unable to move. _I don't want to see this_!

Even heavier stomping had Daniel's heart in his throat and Heath jumping back a couple of feet along the balcony away from the younger witness. And then Ken Higgins, in his raging glory, completely blocked the hallway that led to the master bedroom. "Keep up with that attitude, boy, and you'll be lucky to see the next couple of minutes, much less the next couple of months," the huge man said darkly, not even registering Daniel's presence.

"I'm not a little kid, so stop calling me boy," Heath insisted defiantly, only the whitening of his knuckles as he gripped the balcony's railing revealing his fear.

"I'll call you anything I like. _I'm_ in charge here!" Higgins roared.

"You're only in charge here because you beat everyone who disagrees with you into submission!"

Higgins chuckled, an evil sound. "It's good to know you realize how things work around here. I take it this means you disagree with me?"

Heath narrowed his eyes. "You're enjoying this, aren't you? This is just a major power trip for you. You sick bastard!"

Daniel's eyes widened when he heard the animalistic growl come from his foster father's throat. "How dare you! You push around the other foster kids, bully kids at school to get what you want and beat them up when you don't... And you have the balls to call _me_ a bastard? In my own house! I will not be spoken to like that!" Daniel flinched at the volume, and Heath's knuckles paled even more. "You live in my house, and you will know your place! I'll make sure you never forget it again!"

As Higgins slowly cocked back his left fist, Heath's defiant mask completely fell apart to reveal the utterly scared teenager he really was. And that transformation, that look of terror that Daniel could remember shaping his own features so many years ago only too well, broke the chain of fear that had been holding him in place, had been strangling him since he'd returned from Colorado Springs and figured out what kind of man his foster father was. All he knew in that split second of realization was that it wasn't right to beat a child, not for any reason, and that the force of the blow Higgins had every intention of throwing would severely injure Heath, if not send him over the railing onto the hard wood floor a story below. He couldn't let that happen, he wouldn't. He'd no longer let fear keep him from doing what was right.

"No! Stop!" Daniel shouted, dashing forward and finally jumping in front of Ken Higgins. "Don't hit him!"

There was only a half-second's hitch in the big arm's momentum before Higgins slightly readjusted his trajectory and opened his fist. "Get out of my way!" he bellowed, his enormous, beefy hand connecting solidly with the right side of Daniel's face.

Heath gasped, his eyes bugging out of his head, as the normally-quiet younger teenager flew back from the force of the blow. But Daniel had taken his stand in front of the gap in the balcony railing that marked the staircase. The back of his head slammed into the angled handrail that framed the stairway, then the limp body bounced and rolled violently along the steps to land in a heap at their base. There was no further movement.

"Get up!" Higgins shouted, having stepped forward to the edge of the balcony. "Get the hell up, you melodramatic bastard!"

Heath stared at Daniel's form for a half-minute that felt like a century then dashed down the center hall to the master bedroom at its end. Not bothering to knock, he threw open the door and halted in his tracks at the sight of Jennifer Higgins curled up into a ball on the bed crying her eyes out. "Mrs. Higgins, where's the phone?" he asked after only a beat. There was no response.

"Mrs. Higgins, you have to tell me where the phone is. Daniel's dying down there, and he did it to protect _me_. We have to call an ambulance!"

"D-d-dying?" Jennifer stuttered, slowly bringing her head up. "Daniel?"

"Yes! Your husband knocked him down the stairs with a blow that could have laid out Muhammad Ali, and now he's just lying there at the base of the stairs bleeding to death! Do something!"

She shook her head. "I-I-I can't. I can't. No, no, no, I can't," Jennifer moaned.

Heath's jaw clenched. "Then tell me where the phone is so _I_ can do it! He's already pissed at me. Now where's that phone!"

A shaking arm unfolded itself from the balled up form, and a quivering finger pointed to the drawer of the nightstand next to the bed. "But it's locked," she whispered. "He won't let me call without his permission."

"Then I'll break the God damn thing open," Heath growled. A quick tug verified the drawer was indeed locked, and a minute later, the seventeen-year-old had focused his anger and smashed the table apart. He quickly made the call, ignoring the fresh wave of tears from the woman on the bed. "They're coming," he murmured once he'd hung up the receiver. "God, they better hurry."


	8. Chapter 8

Okay, I won't torture you guys any longer. ; ) Thanks for all the reviews and kind words!

Chapter Eight

* * *

Sam sat in her living room watching television with a large bowl of chocolate ice cream in her lap. She'd gotten home from Quiz Bowl team practice a half hour before and decided to laze about the house for the rest of night since she didn't have any homework. With her father gone on some mission or other for at least the next two weeks, she had the house to herself. She debated with herself about inviting Tommy Jensen over, that cute guy from advanced shop class she'd been talking with a lot lately. He really knew his engines. 

She grinned at the thought. He'd given her a ride home the day before, and had insisted on giving her a tour of all the side streets and alleys in town at a speed that had his wheels squawking at every corner. She hadn't had so much fun in a long time. Especially when they'd caught air flying off the hill a couple of blocks behind her house.

Sam nodded, her mind made up. She'd call Tommy as soon as she finished her ice cream. And if she played her cards right, maybe he'd take her for another ride.

She'd just swallowed the last spoonful of melting chocolate goodness when the phone rang. "Hello, Carter residence," she said, draping herself over the arm of the couch.

"Hello, is this Samantha Carter?" an unfamiliar voice asked.

"Yes. May I ask who's calling?"

A sound came over the line that Sam could have sworn was a sigh of relief. "I'm glad I was finally able to reach you. My name is Janice Drake. I'm Daniel Jackson's social worker."

Sam blinked and pushed herself up to sit properly on the sofa. "Oh! I've heard of you. Daniel's mentioned you in his letters. How can I help you?"

"This isn't usual procedure, but I know how close Daniel is to you, and I couldn't live with myself if I didn't at least try to let you know. Considering his grandfather's current situation I didn't bother getting a hold of him..."

"Miss Drake, you're freaking me out here. What's going on? Why did you call? What's wrong with Daniel?" Sam's mind was filled with horrific images of what could possibly have happened to the young man she still considered her best friend that would result in this kind of phone call. Oh, God, he wasn't dead, was he?

Janice heard the choked gasp and guessed what the young woman must be thinking. "Daniel's been admitted to the local hospital in Seaside," she said quickly. "He was in surgery for six hours, but the doctors are reservedly optimistic about his chances."

Sam's eyes widened and filled with tears. "What happened?" she barely managed to whisper.

There was another sigh from the other end. "From what his foster brother told us, their foster father slapped him with excessive force and sent him tumbling down the stairs. I had no idea that was an abusive home. I didn't know."

"I'm sure you didn't," Sam said hurriedly, pushing aside her own pain momentarily at the sound of tears in the woman's voice. "Daniel has said nothing but good things about you. You tried to find him parents who would adopt him, and moved him as soon as you could when it didn't work out, and let him go to Colorado Springs to see Jack graduate. You've been wonderful. You wouldn't let him get hurt, not if you could prevent it."

"Thank you. I guess I needed to hear that."

"You're welcome." Sam's grief came back with a vengeance. "But is Daniel really going to be okay?" she asked, her voice breaking as she began to lose the fight to keep her tears in check.

"Oh, Samantha, I hope so. The doctors have told me everything's gone well so far, but he's slipped into a coma. They've also said that coma patients sometimes can be helped if people close to them are with them, talking to them, that kind of thing. Is there any way you could come out here and be with him?"

Sam broke into sobs at the request. "I can't! My dad's gone and won't be back for at least two weeks! Oh, God, Daniel!" She brought her free hand up to cover her face.

Janice gasped loudly. "Samantha... Sam, it's okay, it's all right!" There was a slight pause. "How old are you, anyway?"

Sam sniffed a few times as she got the worst of her reaction under control and dropped her hand back into her lap. "I'm fifteen. I swear if I could be there I would. And if my dad were here I'm sure he'd let me go. He likes Daniel, too. But I don't know how to get a hold of him."

"That's okay, Sam. I believe you. Don't beat yourself up over this."

"I'll try, but I don't promise anything. Will you keep me up to date on Daniel's condition? I want to know everything."

"I'll do what I can. Now I should probably get going. I'll try to call tomorrow and tell you what I can. Does the time I called today work best for you?"

"Yeah. That way you can be sure I'm home. Thank you, Miss Drake, for letting me know and trying to keep me in the loop. I really appreciate it. Daniel means so much to me."

There was a slight, strained laugh. "I assure you Daniel feels the same way about you. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Sam."

Sam swallowed hard. "Okay. Goodbye." When the distraught blonde heard the dial tone blare in her ear, she finally hung up the phone and collapsed sideways onto the couch, giving in to soul-rending weeping at last.

* * *

Jack trudged into his quarters after mess that evening, tired from the day's activities. The only thing he planned on doing was reading the new book he'd picked up on Daniel's recommendation then going to bed early. Anything beyond that was asking far too much. He'd call Sara tomorrow. 

The ringing of the phone elicited a deep groan from the second lieutenant. Now what? Jack scowled as he reached for the phone, hoping the person on the other end had a real emergency. Otherwise he refused to be held responsible for his actions. "O'Neill," he answered curtly.

"Lieutenant O'Neill?" a female voice asked hesitantly.

"This is he. What can I do for you?" Jack kept his tone brusque and clipped in the hopes that it would encourage this woman to keep it short.

"Lieutenant, this is Janice Drake, Daniel Jackson's social worker. I've been trying to get a hold of you all day."

Jack's brows furrowed at the immense relief he heard in her tone. "Daniel's social worker? Why are you calling me?"

There was a sigh from the other end. "While you're not legally his family, I thought you deserved to know." Dread and an almost crushing fear rose up in Jack's chest at the words. "Daniel's in the hospital here in Seaside. The doctors think he has a respectable chance to pull through, but he's in a coma at the moment."

Jack blinked. "What happened?" he asked quietly, his hard-ass attitude completely gone.

"We were told that his foster father hit him quite violently and knocked him down the stairs. He was in surgery for six hours."

"What?" Jack asked incredulously, a sudden anger overtaking him even as a pain like that of a red hot sword being run through him pierced his heart. "What the hell was he doing in an abusive home?"

"I didn't know!" Janice cried guiltily. "We'd never had any negative reports come of the Higgins' home in all the years they've been involved with the program. Mr. Higgins is a pillar of the community, always so giving, so generous. I couldn't believe he'd done something like this. But I've seen Daniel, and the other kids are reacting so badly..."

"Where is Higgins now?" Jack asked darkly, vengeful thoughts coursing through his mind. "Where is the bastard?"

Miss Drake took a deep breath to get control of herself. "In jail. They haven't set bail yet. We're trying to get the other children into emergency homes."

The thought of other kids ending up in the same condition as Daniel drew Jack's rage up short and refocused him on Daniel's condition. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Is there any way you could come out here for a while? I've been told that loved ones can be extremely helpful in the recovery of coma patients. I talked to Sam Carter just a little while ago and she's unable to come. What about you?"

Jack's eyes closed as he finally let his sorrow overtake him. "I'll do what I can. Give me your number so I can call you back as soon as I talk to my commanding officer." She did so. "I'm going to go take care of this. I'll call you as soon as I do."

"I'll talk to you soon then, Lieutenant."

Jack hung up the phone with exaggerated care before curling over like someone had punched him in the stomach. "Oh, God, Daniel," he whispered into his thighs, his forehead resting on his knees. "Why? Why do these horrible things have to keep happening to you of all people? It's just not right." He took a few deep, calming breaths, somehow pulling himself back together. Then he stood and headed for the door. The sooner he got the ball rolling, the sooner he'd be where he belonged - at Daniel's side.

* * *

A pale and nervous Jack O'Neill drove like a maniac in his rented car from the airport in San Francisco where his plane had landed not too long before. His CO had been extremely understanding and had pulled a bunch of strings to give the second lieutenant a two-week-long leave so that he could be there for his friend. Miss Drake had promised to meet him at the hospital and to take care of the red tape that might get in his way to seeing Daniel. He could only hope she'd been successful with that last task. He was in no mood to deal with bureaucratic bullshit. 

Following the social worker's directions, Jack quickly found himself in the hospital parking lot. He slammed the car into park and jumped out before making a beeline for the front doors. He barely took note of a five-foot-four woman with wavy brown hair pacing in the lobby as he walked purposefully up to the information desk. "Excuse me," he said tersely to the receptionist seated there. "Could you tell me where I could find a Miss Janice Drake? She's supposed to meet me here."

Before the woman could say anything, the pacing woman made her way over. "Lieutenant O'Neill, you made it," she said, relieved. She stuck out her hand. "I'm Janice Drake."

"Thanks for calling, Miss Drake," Jack replied as he shook the offered appendage. "I came as soon as I could. How's Daniel?"

"Same as when I called you yesterday. I'll take you to his room." She began to lead him to the elevator that would take them to the appropriate floor. "I've cleared everything with the hospital staff in regards to your visitation. The only stipulation is that you have to leave and get some rest every day, so I've taken the liberty of getting you a room at a nearby motel." She handed him a room key as they stepped inside the elevator car then pressed the correct button. "I hope that's all right."

Jack shook his head as he pocketed the key. "Don't worry about it. If that's what it takes to get to see Daniel, I'm for it. Although I don't like the idea of him waking up without anyone he knows with him." He frowned.

Janice laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I know, but there's nothing either of us can do about that. I'm sure you'll be here as much as you can. We'll see how things turn out." Jack merely nodded his acceptance.

They were silent for the rest of the elevator ride. When the doors opened, Janice led Jack to the nurses' station. "Miss Bender," she said politely to the woman sitting there, "I'd like to introduce you to Lieutenant Jack O'Neill. He's the gentleman I spoke with you about."

"Oh, the one you asked to come and sit with Daniel Jackson," the nurse replied. She turned her attention to the young Air Force officer. "It's great that you could be here for him. I really think it'll make a difference. Whenever you come in, just stop here and let whoever's here know that you've arrived. I think Miss Drake can show you to his room." She gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Thanks," Jack said quietly, his mind already with Daniel.

"This way, Lieutenant," Miss Drake said gently, guiding him with a hand on his elbow. The social worker only stayed long enough to give Jack directions to the motel once they'd arrived at Daniel's room. The young man bid her a distracted farewell and slipped silently inside.

He'd been told what to expect, how bad it had been, but it still was like a punch in the gut to witness the teenager who'd been so full of life the last time he'd seen him lying motionless in the dim room, wires and bandages practically obscuring him from sight. As he stood just inside the closed door, Jack found his body beginning to shake with rage that someone would dare do this to his friend. Daniel was a gentle kid, someone who would go out of his way to avoid causing offense, to do something nice for you just because it was the right thing to do and he could. How dare that bastard of a foster parent do this to him!

It took a herculean effort to keep himself from tearing off and returning the favor to the guilty party. His worry about leaving Daniel alone flared up before he could even reach for the door handle, and his sense of priorities righted itself. He went over to the bed and pulled up a chair on the left side, the right side of Daniel's face completely covered in bandages. Jack figured that he should be where it would be easier to be seen when his younger friend woke up - and he would wake up, or someone was answering to Jack O'Neill.

Once he was settled, Jack reached between the bars of the rail on the side of the bed and took Daniel's pale, limp hand in his own. "Hey, Danny," he said gently, his eyes flittering around the bandage-augmented face. "It's Jack. I'm here for you, as long as they let me, every day for the next two weeks. They told me it's good for someone in your... condition," Jack nearly choked on the word, "to have someone they're close to nearby to talk to them, give them support, that kind of thing. So that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to talk so much you'll wake up just to tell me to shut up."

Jack let his head fall to his chest for a moment as his cheerful mask faltered for a moment. "God, Daniel, tell me to shut up, tell me to go home, tell me anything, as long as you wake up to do it," he murmured sadly. He raised his head, folded his left arm on top of the guard rail, and rested his cheek in the crook of it. "I'll just wait here until you do, okay?"

And the vigil began.

* * *

Two days later, Jack was slouched in his chair reading a magazine in the mid-afternoon sunlight, sharing commentary on the articles, when the phone rang, making him jump about a foot in the air. He glanced at Daniel as it rang for a second time, and, seeing no reaction from his friend, reached out to pick it up. "Hello?" he answered, confused. 

"Is... is this Daniel Jackson's room?" a timid female voice asked.

"Yeah?" Jack stretched the word out, still confused.

"Oh, thank God. I was so worried I'd get the wrong room. Is this Jack O'Neill?"

Jack pulled the receiver away from his ear for a second to stare incredulously at it then put it back. "Yeah, it is. And you are?"

There was a small laugh. "I'm Sam Carter. I think Daniel told you about me?"

"Oh! Yeah, he has." Now that he knew what was going on he could relax. "So how are you doing?"

"I've been better," she murmured, all traces of humor gone from her voice. "How's Daniel?"

Jack's eyes involuntarily flickered over to Daniel's expressionless face. "Still out. But the doctors say he's doing fine."

A tiny sigh came from the other end. "That's easy to say. It's not as easy to hear."

He gave a small snort. "You got that right. Is your dad going to be home soon?"

There was another sigh. "No, but I talked to his commanding officer. I asked him to get my dad a message if he could letting him know what was going on and to either get a hold of me or get me access to the money I'd need to fly out there. I know he'd let me go. He's just not here to do it."

"Don't worry about it, Sam. If you can be here, you'll be here. And if you can't, Daniel will understand. That's the kind of guy he is."

"I know," she said in a small voice. Then she took a deep breath and forced some life back into her tone. "So, how's the Air Force?"

"Um, okay," Jack said slowly, a little thrown by the sudden change of subject. But he knew why she did it, and mentally applauded her efforts. "My dad's a master sergeant, so I grew up having an idea what to expect."

"I can so relate. My dad's a colonel. And I think he might be up for a promotion soon."

Jack's brow creased. "Are you thinking about joining the Air Force?"

He could hear the grin in her voice as she responded, "Oh, yeah. I want to be an astronaut. I've been dreaming about that since I was a little girl. And flying jets would be cool, too. Talk about fast."

"Bit of a speed junkie, are you?"

"Maybe..."

Jack looked at the bed again and an idea came to him. "Hey, Sam. Do you want to talk to Daniel? I can hold the phone up to his ear and you can talk about whatever's on your mind. Just tap the mouthpiece three times when you're done."

There was a stunned moment of silence. "You'd do that for me?" Sam asked.

Jack smiled. "Well, yeah. You're just as much Daniel's friend as I am, and I think it would do Daniel good to hear your voice as well as mine."

"Thank you, Jack."

"Just let me know when you're ready, and tap three times on the mouthpiece when you're done."

"I'm ready."

Jack brought down the guard rail and put the phone up to Daniel's ear, resting his arm on the mattress. "Go ahead," he said loud enough for Sam to hear but not so loud he overwhelmed Daniel.

The twenty-two-year-old leaned back in his chair and watched his friend's face as Sam's voice poured out from the earpiece of the handset. He was glad the girl had called. He knew how much Daniel thought of her, and he had to admit she seemed pretty nice judging from their short conversation. Now with both of Daniel's best friends working to pull him through this, Jack just knew that they had to succeed. Neither one of them would let it turn out any other way.

* * *

Another four days passed along a similar vein. Jack and Sam had talked about quite a few things during their daily chats and had laid the foundation for their own friendship apart from Daniel. He was pleased to note that she shared his interest in astronomy, although all her technical terms and scientific theories on the subject made him miss his simple conversations with Sara about the stars. Sam was also willing to give hockey a shot, but fishing was apparently too boring for her. She'd gone with her father a few times and had preferred to go swimming instead. 

Jack also kept in contact with Sara. His girlfriend had expressed deep concern over Daniel's condition and wished him a quick recovery every time Jack called. A couple of days after Jack's first phone call a care package had arrived at the motel, and the second lieutenant enjoyed his first meal not from a cafeteria since he'd arrived.

It had been a week since he'd flown over in such a panicked rush. That day began as the other seven had, with Jack coming in not long after the sun rose and settling in for the long haul. He refused lunch, citing a lack of appetite. Finally, about four-thirty, one of the usual nurses lingered for a moment after her regularly scheduled check on Daniel. "Jack, you look like you could really use something to eat. Go on down and get something."

"Nah, that's all right, Lucy. I'm fine."

"Don't give me that. You refused lunch. You must be starving."

"I said I was fine."

Lucy gazed at the man slouched in the visitor's chair next to the bed and tried to figure out a way to get him to take care of his basic needs. It was the same struggle she'd been faced with every time she'd come in to work since Daniel had been admitted. "Look, I'll make a deal with you. I'm pulling a double shift tonight so I can have the whole weekend off. That means I'm in charge of kicking you out of here later. If you go down to the cafeteria, take an hour to have a leisurely meal and relax, I'll let you stay that much longer tonight. Do we have a deal?"

Jack turned his head and met her gaze. "One hour now for two hours later?" he shot back.

"If that's what it takes."

"Then we've got a deal." Jack checked his watch as he rose to his feet. "Oh, wait a minute. Sam should be calling within the next hour."

Lucy frowned. "You said we had a deal, Jack."

"I'm not trying to go back on it. Is there any way there could be someone in here while I'm gone, to answer the phone and let Sam talk to Daniel?" The fact that Daniel wouldn't be alone was just a bonus.

The nurse sighed as Jack gave her a pathetic attempt at a hurt puppy dog look. "I can call in one of the candy stripers or some other volunteer. As soon as they get here, go down to the cafeteria. Otherwise, the deal is off and you lose an hour."

Jack grinned and saluted her. "Yes, ma'am."

Five minutes later, a twenty-something young woman stuck her head inside the door. "Are you Jack O'Neill? Nurse Seward said I should wait here while you got something to eat."

"I'm Jack O'Neill. Come on over here and take a seat." Jack gestured to the chair he'd been sitting in, and the woman did as requested. "Now, what I was worried about was that Daniel's friend Sam Carter would call while I was gone. If the phone rings, answer it. If it's Sam, just tell her where I went and that you'll let her talk to Daniel. Then hold the phone up to Daniel's ear until you hear three taps. And if you could, would you ask her for her phone number? I'll call her back when I'm done eating." He blinked as a thought occurred to him. "By the way, what's your name?"

She giggled. "I'm Nicole Wells. Is it okay if I just read while I wait?"

"That's fine." Daniel wouldn't recognize her voice anyway. "I'm going to get going before I end up on the receiving end of the wrath of Nurse Seward." Jack leaned over and brushed a stray strand of hair off Daniel's forehead. "I've gotta go for a while, buddy. The people around here don't seem to think that I can survive without sustenance. If you're awake when I get back, I just might have a sandwich for you." He lightly patted the young man's shoulder and left the room. Nicole watched him leave and settled in with a magazine she'd seen on the bedside table.

* * *

Sam half-heartedly finished her dinner of chicken noodle soup and bologna sandwiches and glanced at the clock. Seven forty-five. She sighed. Two weeks before she'd been planning on being at the high school cheering from just the right seat at the homecoming football game with the girls from the physics club this very day and time. But she just couldn't bring herself to go. The girls hadn't understood why she didn't want to attend the game that night, and had given her a hard time about it. And when she had told them in very sketchy details about Daniel, they said that had to be the lamest excuse they'd ever heard. Since he was out in California there was nothing she could do, so why should she put her life on hold? 

"Maybe because it feels like someone did it for me," she muttered as she put her dishes in the sink. Her shoulders sagged as she washed her hands. "I need to call Jack. There might be good news about Daniel, and Jack's always good for a laugh." She dried her hands and headed for the living room where she could get comfortable on the couch during her conversation.

Sam's mind was wandering a bit as the phone rang, so she was completely thrown when a woman's voice answered. "Hello?" the woman asked nervously.

Blonde brows furrowed in confusion. "Um, hello? Who is this?"

"This is Sam Carter, isn't it?"

"How did you know my name?"

"Jack told me before he left. Nurse Seward made him go down and get something to eat, so Jack had me wait for your phone call since he thought it might come while he was out. Did you want to talk to Daniel now?"

Sam blinked a few times and processed the rapid speech. "Oh, yeah, sure. Will Jack be back soon?"

There was a slight pause, presumably as the woman checked her watch. "I want to say forty-five minutes or so. Oh! And he also asked me to get your number. He said he'd call you when he got back."

Sam gave it to the unknown woman, unsure how long she'd be talking. Shortly after she heard the distant go ahead that told her the phone was close to Daniel's ear.

"Hey, Daniel, it's me, Sam. I want you to know you're my homecoming date this year. Those girls in the physics club are going to be green with envy, because we're having a great time, aren't we?" She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. She couldn't keep up the happy act. "I wish I were there, Daniel. The only thing I want more is to hear your voice, to hear you tell me about your day, what happened at school. Did you finish everything for the semester like you thought you would? Did you find that book on Mayan legends you were looking for?" Sam fought back a sudden wave of tears. "Are you ever going to wake up? Please?"

"Sam?" a raspy voice whispered, confused.

"Daniel?" Sam cried. "Oh my God, Daniel, you're awake! You have no idea how much I've missed your voice!"

"Sam. Missed you."

"I miss you too, Daniel. I promise. You've been out of it so long." The tears she'd been fighting spilled over, magically transformed to tears of joy.

"Tired. Hurt."

"I know, Daniel. I know. You're still healing. It's all going to get better, I swear."

"Okay, Sam. So tired. So, so tired."

Sam bit her lower lip. His exhaustion was more than apparent. Was that normal? He'd been sleeping for over a week, hadn't he? She'd have to find out later. "I know, Daniel. Go to sleep if you want. We'll talk again soon, okay?"

"Okay." The deep breath and exhalation that followed the barely audible word told Sam he'd fallen asleep. She couldn't help but grin widely.

"Oh my God! Oh my God!" the woman who'd answered the phone said suddenly into the mouthpiece, causing Sam to jerk the phone away from her ear. "I need to get the doctor! I have to go!"

Sam replaced her receiver when the dial tone told her the woman had hung up to take care of what needed to be done. There was nothing she could do, huh? She laughed. She'd rather feel this way than go to a hundred homecoming games. She'd happily tell those girls that on Monday, too. But for now, it was time to celebrate! She ran over to the stereo and cranked up the radio, hopping around and dancing wildly until she could barely breathe. And when she fell asleep that night, it was with a smile on her face.

* * *

Jack had been surprised to see the hustle and bustle in Daniel's room upon his return, and was ecstatic when Nicole told him that Daniel had talked to Sam, however briefly. The doctor quickly sobered his mood with the news that the young man had slipped back into his coma, although it didn't seem as deep and his surfacing bode quite well for his recovery. Jack and the nurses were to be on the look out for signs of restlessness. The only thing Jack didn't like about the whole situation was that he had to tell Sam the next day. But their outlooks were much more positive, and Sam in particular was confident Daniel would come back to them. 

It was close to midnight the next night when the night duty nurse who was assigned to check on Daniel quietly slipped into his room. She smiled when she saw the slumped form on the chair next to the bed. Everyone on that floor knew Jack O'Neill by that point, knew him and his determination to be there for his friend. Her supervisor had told him at eleven that he needed to leave and get some rest - already an hour past the usual limit - but apparently he never made it that far. The nurse did see his jacket draped over a shoulder, precariously close to falling off, so she guessed that he'd been intending to go "in just one more minute". She decided to let him sleep. What her supervisor didn't know wouldn't hurt her, and Jack was resting.

The woman was pleased to note that Daniel was showing signs of restlessness again. The fingers of his left hand twitched slightly every now and again in the hand holding it and his head turned in that direction. The chances of Daniel awakening sometime soon were beginning to look good. She did her checks and took her notes, then left with one last smile at the tableau she was leaving behind. It really was cute.

A short time before the two o'clock check, lids finally fluttered and opened, revealing slightly glazed blue eyes, the right one only a slit due to the deep bruising and swelling that still lingered on that side of his face. The gaze was focused on nothing in particular until a sigh and shifting from the chair so close by got his attention. Things were fuzzy, but Daniel would have sworn that was Jack sitting there sleeping. His remaining exhaustion kept him from truly reacting, and his dry throat halted any thought of speaking, but his eyes continued to devour the sight of his oldest friend. Another shift brought with it a squeeze of his IV-less left hand, and the teenager managed to returned it weakly. Jack smiled.

Daniel's eyes slid shut and he began to lightly doze a few moments before the door opened and the nurse returned. She went through her hourly routine, a few surprised murmurs reaching Daniel's barely-aware consciousness. "Sleep while you can," he heard her whisper, a smile apparent in her tone. "I'm sure the doctors will pounce as soon as you wake up." She sighed. "I'm just glad you have such a wonderful friend with you. He's barely left your side since he got here." Footsteps faded followed by the door opening and closing.

Daniel managed to drag his eyes open one more time, blinking slowly until they were focused once again on Jack's slumbering form. He gave another extremely light squeeze to the hand wrapped around his own and smiled. His head then shifted back to look up at the ceiling, lids falling down once again as he faded into dreamland.

* * *

Jack hurried back to the hospital the next morning. He'd woken up at about quarter after two in the morning the night before and decided to beat a hasty retreat before someone with greater authority than the nurse who had obviously allowed him to sleep in the chair came along and took away his nearly unlimited visiting privileges. But he'd been so tired he'd forgotten to set an alarm, and so slept until almost nine, two hours after he usually resumed his vigil. He almost felt guilty. 

The man's steps slowed for a moment as he began to take the now-familiar trek from the elevator opening on Daniel's floor to the room where he lay unconscious when he saw a nurse carefully close the right door before hurrying off. Jack's brows furrowed in confusion and he continued on. He refused to panic. He hadn't heard any alarms, and he figured he would have if they'd been going off - the nurse had been too careful about closing the door to hide that. Besides, Jack doubted she would have cared about the door if there had been an emergency. And something about her radiated excitement more than concern.

The nurse returned with a doctor in tow, meeting Jack at the door. "Lieutenant O'Neill," the man greeted him.

"Hey, Doctor Weis. What's going on?"

"I need to ask you to wait out here for maybe ten minutes until I finish my examination. Then I'll be better equipped to answer that question." The older man smiled gently. "Daniel's awake, I want to make sure he's going to stay that way."

Jack grinned. "Go ahead then, Doc. I won't get in your way." Two more nurses came up at that point, and the medical trio went inside, Jack deciding to sit down in the waiting area not ten feet down the hall to try to still the sudden, unexplainable shaking in his arms and legs.

Daniel lay in his bed, tense and nervous. He'd awoken to find himself alone in a strange place; for some reason he'd expected Jack to be there. When the nurse came in, it answered one of the questions in his head, namely "where am I?". She'd been friendly enough, and seemingly happy to find him awake and aware - and it was nice that she'd given him some water to moisten his mouth and throat - but he still wasn't comfortable. The woman left promising to be back shortly with the doctor, and that's when he remembered his foster father and how he'd come to be hurt. Was Mr. Higgins here, waiting to see if he'd pull through, if he'd tell anyone what had happened? Would the man sneak in and hurt him again, to try to keep him quiet? As scared as he was, Daniel was determined to let the authorities know what happened. He couldn't let anyone else go through this.

The door opened again, and Daniel found himself holding his breath. He released it when it turned out to be the nurse returning as promised with a doctor and two other nurses. His nerves were still on edge, but he didn't think he had anything to worry about with these four.

"Hello, Daniel," the doctor said in a friendly tone as he checked the chart hanging at the end of the bed. "It's good to see you awake. We were a little afraid you wouldn't be rejoining us." Daniel just licked his lips and said nothing, his eyes darting around the room as he waited for the other shoe to drop and his foster father to come walking in the door.

"It's okay, Daniel," the first nurse said soothingly, noticing his flitting gaze. "Everything's going to be okay."

"Where... where is he?" Daniel finally managed to whisper, his voice shaking.

He was surprised to see two of the nurses share a soft smile and sympathetic look. "He's right out in the hall, honey," the unknown half of the pair said, smiling. "He'll be in as soon as we're finished."

Suddenly there wasn't enough oxygen in the entire hospital. His unblemished eye opened wide as he gasped for air. "No!" he choked out. "No, no, no, no, please no!" He began to struggle, ignoring everything that pulled and sent sharp spikes of pain through him as he attempted to escape. The medical staff, thoroughly confused, did their best to hold him still without injuring him further. "Oh God, Jack!" Daniel finally cried at the top of his lungs. "Please, Jack, help me! Jack!"

A minute of pain-filled fighting with the nurses and doctor trying to hold him and ever-growing despair ended abruptly when the door to the room flew open and Jack dashed inside. "What the hell's going on?" he demanded, shoving his way to Daniel's left side and grabbing his hand. His expression immediately softened when his eyes met the blue ones below. "What's going on, Danny?"

Daniel had stopped thrashing at the first sound of his friend's voice, and the gentle question leeched the last of the tension from his frame. His instincts told him Jack would never let anyone hurt him. "Is he out there, Jack?" he breathed, a desperate fear in his voice all the same. He didn't want Mr. Higgins to hurt Jack. "Is he there?"

Jack narrowed his eyes for a moment and thought about it before responding. And then it hit him. "Oh God no, Danny. No, he's not out there. I promise. He's behind bars where he belongs."

"Who are you talking about, Lieutenant?" the doctor asked.

"His foster father. He thought his foster father was out in the hall waiting for him." Jack returned his attention to his friend. "He's not, Daniel. I was just out there so I know."

Daniel's nurse brought her hands up to her mouth, her expression stricken. "I thought he was asking about you, Jack. Lisa told me when I came on shift this morning that she guessed he'd been awake briefly while you were asleep on the chair and had seen you there. She came in for her check right after he'd fallen back asleep. I thought it was you." She looked at the calming Daniel. "I'm sorry, Daniel."

Daniel looked back at her, his hand tightening inside Jack's hold. "It's okay," he whispered. "You didn't know."

The other nurse briefly touched Daniel's right shoulder. "I'm sorry, too, Daniel. I jumped to the same conclusion." Daniel just shook his head and tried to give both women a smile.

"I still need to examine my patient," Doctor Weis said firmly but with understanding.

"I want Jack to stay," Daniel insisted. "Please."

The doctor sighed. "I think I can manage to work around him. I want to make sure you didn't injure yourself further, along with everything else."

"Go ahead." Daniel relaxed into the mattress, never letting go of Jack's hand. He was relieved when Jack's grip stayed as firm as his own.

* * *

"I don't know, Jack." 

"I'm telling you, toe-to-toe..."

"But he wouldn't let it come down to that."

"He might not have a choice."

"He'd make sure he _had_ that choice. The man's brilliant."

"Daniel, I'm telling you, Superman would wipe the floor with Batman." Jack leaned back in his chair and stared at his friend incredulously.

Daniel shook his head. "Only in a purely physical confrontation. If you're talking about a complete battle, using all of the resources at their command, Batman would out-think Superman. He'd come up with a way to eliminate his disadvantage, maybe even turn it into an advantage. Come on, Jack, you studied tactics and strategy. You got a degree in it. You _know_ that."

Jack chuckled. "There are times I wonder if I should have gotten those comic books for you. Then we have talks like this and I _know_ I did the right thing."

Daniel grinned. "I like Batman."

"Of that I am well aware, Danny-boy."

A knock at the door made both friends turn their attention in that direction. A familiar teenager with shoulder-length dark brown hair stuck his head inside, a tentative expression on his face. "Can I come in?"

Jack looked to Daniel for an answer. "Sure, Heath," the young man said as he shifted himself a bit on his pillow. Jack adjusted the head of his bed a little bit higher as Heath came into the room, stopping a few steps away from where the older man was seated.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing. Miss Drake said you'd come out of the coma."

"I'm glad you came," Daniel replied quietly. "Everyone told me you were all right, but this way I can see for myself. He didn't come after you after... what happened, did he?"

"No, he just stood there at the top of the stairs staring at you with his jaw on the floor." Heath looked at Daniel with a look of incredulity. "After everything I did to you, how can you lay there and worry about me?"

Jack perked up at that question. So this was the kid that had been picking on Daniel at his last foster home, huh? Daniel never did mention his name...

Heath paused a moment, trying to find the right words. "You... took that blow for me. You didn't have to do that."

"If he'd hit you, you would have gone over the railing. I don't think you would have survived the fall." Daniel's eyes dropped to his bed sheets.

"You're lucky you survived yours." Daniel shrugged. Heath shook his head. "I watched you go down the stairs and then I just stood there. I froze for I don't know how long." It was Heath's turn to drop his gaze. "It felt like forever. You're lucky to be alive."

"I know." Jack watched in amazement as Daniel lifted his eyes once again, his expression transforming into one of confidence, sympathy, and understanding. "And it's all thanks to you. You couldn't have been frozen all that long. You went and called the police, and they came with an ambulance in time to save me. So why do you think you did something wrong?"

Heath's dark grey eyes closed completely. "I'm the one he should have hit."

Daniel scowled. "No, Heath. He shouldn't have hit anybody."

"But..."

"No buts. It's wrong, so very wrong, and it should have been stopped a long time ago."

Jack cleared his throat to get the two teenagers' attention. "Um, what about his wife? Why didn't she ever do anything?"

Daniel pursed his lips slightly, the right side of his face still kind of swollen as it healed. Heath looked at the seated man and spoke before the young man in the bed. "Considering what I saw I'd say that Ken Higgins had succeeded in beating his wife into complete submission," the quiet voice said seriously with an undertone of sorrow. The sight of Jennifer Higgins curled up on that bed crying still haunted his thoughts from time to time. "I had to break apart the bedside table to get at the phone. He kept it locked in there because she wasn't allowed to make phone calls without his permission."

Daniel shuddered. "Really? I never knew it was that bad."

"Neither did I."

"So what's going to happen to you now?" Jack asked Heath.

"All the foster kids were immediately placed in emergency homes. It should be my last place. My birthday's in early December, and I'll be eighteen. Miss Drake said she'd help me find a place of my own after that."

"So everybody's okay?" Daniel asked.

Heath nodded. "You bet. They've all given statements to Miss Drake and the other social workers about what was going on there. And I heard that some of Higgins' former foster kids have come forward after this thing got splashed all over the news. Oh, don't worry," he said quickly in response to the pair of panicked looks that inspired, "your name wasn't mentioned. None of the kids were. We're minors so they can't."

Jack released an explosive breath. "Well, that's something."

"Anyway, I should get going. I've got some homework to do, and my new foster parents are expecting me home for supper. They've been really cool, so I don't want to worry them." Heath paused and gave Daniel a hesitant once-over before stepping up next to the bed. "You realize the only reason I pushed you around but never hit you was because you weren't really scared of me, don't you? I could tell it was more of what Higgins would do to you if I marked you up."

"Actually it was more because of what he would have done to _you_ if you marked me up," Daniel refuted, the corners of his mouth twitching upward slightly. Heath's eyes widened as Daniel continued. "And I hope you realize that I never gave you all of my extra lunch money. It was always just enough to keep you off my back." He laughed as Heath's jaw dropped.

Finally the seventeen-year-old recovered. "You are such a little shit," he said with a chuckle. Then his expression turned serious. "But a good one. Thanks for being there for me. I just want you to know that I really do appreciate it." He gave Daniel a half-smile. "I'll catch you around." He turned and headed for the door.

"Bye, Heath," Daniel called just before the door shut.

"You know, I didn't expect to like the kid that was pushing you around," Jack mused, watching Daniel out of the corner of his eye.

Daniel shrugged. "He was angry at the way life's treated him and was taught to lash out by example. He'd been with the Higgins for a long time when I got there, and who knows what happened before that."

There was a moment of silence as the two friends lost themselves in thought. "I have a question," Jack said finally. "Why didn't any of you say anything about the abuse? Why didn't you tell me?"

Daniel's eyes squeezed shut. "I couldn't," he whispered.

"Why?"

A tear escaped and slipped down Daniel's cheek. "It felt like I was eight years old all over again," he murmured.

"The last time you were in an abusive home," Jack said knowingly, realization dawning.

"How did you know about that?" Daniel asked, his eyes springing open as his head snapped to the side to face Jack.

"Jane Michaels told me about it when I visited to explain why you talking to me was such a big deal. She didn't go into details or anything, just mentioned that you'd been in an abusive home."

Daniel's eyes searched Jack's face for a long moment. "I didn't realize what was going on there until a few days after I got back from your graduation, and then it was all I could do to hide myself. I knew from what happened the first time that if I could avoid being noticed I could avoid getting hit. And it worked. I was so scared all the old habits came back, all the old rules. You don't tell anyone, anyone at all - that's rule number one. The only good thing that happened was that I'd find your letters, and Sam's, under my pillow when they got to the house. Considering how cowed Heath thought Mrs. Higgins was, it was probably one of her few little acts of defiance. She was always so sweet to us kids, as much as she could be. But she lived with a man who..."

"Who was a complete asshole," Jack finished for him. He sighed and shook his head. "I guess I just don't understand that kind of fear. So what made you break the cycle?"

"I'd been reading and had just left my room to go to the bathroom when Heath's argument with Mr. Higgins spilled out onto the balcony at the top of the stairs. Mr. Higgins had cocked his fist back and I could see that he was going to put everything he had into it. I knew that if he did he'd send Heath flying over the balcony rail. I'd been silently frozen up to that point, but that knowledge pushed me over the edge. It was wrong, and I couldn't let it happen. I had to do everything I could to stop it." An odd determination shaped Daniel's features. "And I'd do it again."

Jack saw that determination and knew it wasn't something that Daniel had learned, but rather something of his soul that had finally broken through to the surface. "I hope you never have to," he said quietly.

Daniel swallowed, his face and body relaxing. "Yeah, me too. But if it's the right thing to do, I will. Especially if it's for a friend."

"Then I really hope _I_ never make you. Now what do you want for dinner? I'll order it special from the nurses." Jack smiled expectantly, determined to change the subject.

Daniel let him and returned the smile. "Depends on what my choices are. But I think I want Jello for dessert."

"Are you sure you don't want pie?"

"I don't think they'll let me have that yet."

"Then we'll have to see what the ol' O'Neill charm can do to fix that." Jack grinned and winked outrageously, and the both of them laughed, the gloom of the previous discussion successfully dispelled.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

* * *

Sam sighed as she leaned back in her desk at the back of the classroom just before fifth hour. Her creative writing class hadn't started yet, and she barely took note of the students as they wandered in. She was sick of all the flyers she'd been seeing - including the banner that was currently draped above the chalkboard - that were posted all over the school advertising the Valentine's Day dance that was coming up on the sixteenth. Since she'd only been there since the beginning of the semester, it wasn't like she had a date - or much hope of getting one. 

Her father had promised her this last, sudden move would be just that until she graduated from high school. He'd spoken to his superiors about the issue, so Sam was confident that things would work out. It didn't fix the "new-kid syndrome" but it was nice knowing this would be the last time she'd have to deal with it until she graduated.

Thinking of "new-kid syndrome" a hesitant figure in the doorway caught the blonde's attention. The boy was a lanky five-foot-nine with slightly unruly dark blond hair that hung a half inch past his ears, and he was wearing a brown plaid shirt tucked into a worn pair of blue jeans, a scuffed pair of tennis shoes, and a pair of mottled-brown, plastic framed glasses. Sam watched as he double-checked the number on the door then walked over to Miss Wagner's desk in the front of the room. The teacher looked over the slip of paper he gave her, then gestured toward the desks with a small smile. The young man nodded in return and slipped into the one at the front of Sam's row. He took the pair of textbooks he'd been hugging to his chest and placed them in the basket beneath his seat before opening his notebook and placing a sharp pencil beside it to wait for class to start. Sam didn't know what it was about the kid, but something struck her as familiar about him.

She didn't have much time to ponder the idea thanks to the bell that rang at that point. Miss Wagner moved to stand in front of the middle row of desks and had the class spend ten minutes writing whatever came to mind about the person or people they cared about most. She made it clear that the exercise wasn't about form or grammar - it was about expressing ideas. Sam was happy about that; while she was more than capable of putting together an impressive research paper given the time and resources, writing fiction was proving to be quite the challenge. Talking about ideas, impressions, and sensations on paper for everyone to see stretched her imagination to its limit, although it was getting easier as time went along. She much preferred dealing with facts and figures.

Once the time was up, the teacher began to call on people to read what they'd written. Elisha Bannon, senior captain of the cheerleading squad, went first, her piece sounding more like a mix between a list of conquests and a family tree than anything resembling prose. Jeremy Hart's piece was pretty much a blatant plug for his garage band. Chad McAlister, vice-president of the student council, apparently only needed to look in a mirror to see the person that meant the most to him. Sam was almost ready to volunteer to read her own composition - if only to get a break from the pointless drivel - when Miss Wagner decided to call on the new kid. "Daniel," she said with a gentle smile, "why don't you share what you've written? It'll give us a chance to get to know you."

The young man hesitated for a moment before rising to his feet and turning to shyly face the class. His bright blue eyes were glued to the paper he held. "Tall, lean soldier," his low baritone voice said clearly if a bit softly, "seeking to soar through clouds of pure white, to speed through the air and joyfully touch the sky, to protect that which he holds close to his heart. He walks beside me, in spirit if not in fact, steadying my steps and heartening me when they falter. An anchor when the world around me is in chaos. He makes me laugh.

"Slender, intelligent student, reaching for the stars, for that which lies beyond what we know, for understanding of the workings of the universe. She walks at my other side, in my heart if not in person, sharing with me the joy of learning and the excitement of discovery. The calm after the storm when my heart and soul are in turmoil. She makes me smile.

"And lastly, above me, guiding my steps and watching me move ahead, are those who formed this body, this soul, this life. There is pain, of loss, of longing, yet there is also happiness, of memories, of lessons learned so long ago. Theirs is the path I seek to follow yet make my own. I only hope I can make them proud.

"All of these, in their own ways, have touched my life, my heart, and made it complete. I love them all." His eyes never rising, he lowered his paper and slipped back into his seat.

The usual applause that followed a student's reading was subdued, and Miss Wagner stared at the young man with wide eyes. "Daniel, that was beautiful. Thank you for sharing it with us." He shrugged, and the teacher went on to talk about the assigned reading they were to have read the night before.

Sam sat at her desk, stunned. Daniel? Was this her Daniel? She hadn't heard from him since he'd been in the hospital, she didn't know why. Now here he was, in the same school and the same class as she was. And he still thought so highly of her, even though he had to be disappointed that he hadn't heard from her either.

Apparently he hadn't seen her yet, or hadn't recognized her if he had. She had to let him know she was there. A huge smile split her face as an idea struck her. It was perfect.

A few minutes later, while Miss Wagner's back was turned as she wrote notes on the blackboard, Sam handed a folded note across the aisle to an acquaintance from her math class, signaling to her that she wanted Daniel to get it in a roundabout way. The girl snickered and did as requested. Another five minutes later, the note landed on Daniel's desk, with him totally unaware of where it came from.

Daniel's brows furrowed in confusion when he realized a folded up piece of paper was nestled up against his elbow. He discreetly glanced around the room, but no one appeared to be watching him. His curiosity getting the best of him, he unfolded the note.

"Hello.

"I couldn't help but notice that you're new here, aside from Miss Wagner's comments. I wanted to welcome you to El Segundo High School and El Segundo. I moved here myself just before the start of the semester in January, so I understand how it feels to be the new kid.

"Lunch is coming up after this, and I would be honored to have you sit with me. Someone once told me that new kids need to stick together, and there's a great tree out in the yard that's perfect to eat your lunch under. I'd love to show it to you.

"If you're up for it, wait for me after class. We can drop off our books at our lockers, pick up our lunches, and go outside. It's absolutely gorgeous out there. Hopefully, I'll talk to you later."

Daniel frowned when he saw the note wasn't signed. Something about the messy handwriting seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. He was somewhat afraid that the whole thing was a joke at his expense, but the same curiosity that had him reading the note in the first place had him wondering who sent it. He knew he'd be lingering around after class.

The bell finally rang, signifying the end of the period. Miss Wagner had Daniel wait for a moment as the other students filed out while she got him a copy of the textbook they used in her class. He thanked her then began to gather up his belongings as she returned to her desk. He sighed. Apparently the mystery author hadn't wanted to wait.

"So should I take this as a sign you want to see my tree?"

Daniel straightened abruptly, books in the crook of his arm. Whoever was right behind him sounded just like... "Sam?" he asked incredulously, spinning around to face the source of the question. His eyes widened when he found himself eye-to-eye with a fully-developed Samantha Carter, her sunlight-colored hair much shorter than it had been the last time he'd seen her, now only hanging down to her shoulders. "Is that you, Sam?"

She smiled widely as her blue-grey eyes watered. "Who else would send you a note like that? Didn't you recognize my handwriting?"

"Something seemed familiar, but your letters were always so neat..." Daniel's voice trailed off as he shook his head in amazement. "I never thought I'd see you again," he murmured.

"That's funny," Sam replied, her voice shaky. "I thought the same thing." She bit her lower lip for a moment then launched herself at her friend, forcing him to drop his books onto the desk next to him. "When they told me you'd been discharged from the hospital and I never got another letter I was so worried, Daniel. I didn't know what had happened." A few tears escaped her control as she laid her head on Daniel's shoulder.

"I'll explain everything," Daniel said softly as he held her tight against him. His eyes flickered over to the teacher's desk where Miss Wagner sat silently watching, tears in her eyes and a wide smile.

Sam nodded. "What you wrote today was so beautiful, Daniel. Do you really think that about me, that I walk by your side in your heart, that I'm the calm after the storm for you?"

Daniel closed his eyes briefly, a touch embarrassed that she'd heard that. "I'd never lie about how important you are to me, Sam. Now why don't we go to lunch and we can talk about everything. You still have a tree to show me."

Five minutes later the two of them were sitting under that tree, both of them having brought a lunch from home. "Nice tree," Daniel commented with a smile as he settled himself. "I can understand why you'd eat here."

"I was hoping I'd get the chance to use it to read your letters under while I ate," Sam murmured, a bit embarrassed. "I thought it was so neat when you told me about my special tree in Carmel."

"Yeah, about that," Daniel said, his cheeks flushing. "I did try to write you. I wasn't expecting to be discharged for another couple days when Miss Drake and the doctor came in and told me I'd be leaving that day. I knew you were in school so I couldn't call, and once I'd been taken to my temporary foster home I didn't feel comfortable asking to make a long distance phone call. So I wrote you a letter since my foster parents told me they'd send along anything I got after I'd left, but it got sent back, return to sender written in big letters across the envelope. I tried again, but didn't hear anything. I had no idea what was going on, and actually got a little worried."

"I'd never send back your letters, Daniel, never. I hope you know that," Sam assured him quickly, her eyes wide.

Daniel smiled. "I know. I didn't think it was you. The handwriting on the letter I got back wasn't right, and it didn't seem like your dad's either. I just didn't know what was going on."

Sam relaxed. "I think I get it. You got discharged on a Friday, right? Just before Christmas?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"My last day before break. I was going to call you that night, but my dad wanted me to go with him to one of his social functions. Some general was throwing a Christmas party and had invited us. Believe me, you don't turn down a general unless you have a very good, very valid excuse. The next morning, Dad told me I needed to pack. We were moving out here over the weekend. I guess his immediate superior told him about it at the party, including the fact that he'd already arranged the purchase of a house for us to go with Dad's transfer to the Los Angeles Air Force Base. I tried calling the hospital, but they told me you'd been discharged and refused to tell me where you'd gone. After Christmas, once we were settled in a bit, I tried calling Miss Drake since she'd been so great about contacting me about you being in the hospital, but the lady I talked to wouldn't transfer me to her. She told me that since I wasn't relation they couldn't give out any information, and not to bother sending them any letters for you because they'd just be returned. I believe her exact words were, 'Look, kid, we're not the post office.' I so wanted to hit her." Sam scowled darkly as she remembered that phone call.

Daniel's expression was a mix of shock, outrage, and hurt. "No one ever told me anything."

The blonde young woman shrugged, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "That doesn't surprise me. I doubt Miss Drake even knows I called. But I didn't think it would do any good to send a letter anyway. I get the feeling Miss Drake is unique."

Daniel nodded, his face settling into resigned acceptance. "She was."

"So when did you move here? And how?"

"Just this last weekend," Daniel said, letting Sam change the subject. "Miss Drake arranged for me to be transferred to Los Angeles County. A friend of hers is my new social worker. Kayla Waters. She's nice."

"I don't get it. Why would Miss Drake transfer you down here?"

"She tried so hard three different times to get me into a good home and three times it didn't work out. She said she feels like she failed me, especially after the Higgins' home. I tried to tell her she was wrong. But she'd talked with Miss Waters, and everything was settled. The good thing is I shouldn't be moving until after I graduate from high school." Daniel sighed as he pulled a handkerchief out of the back pocket of his jeans and wiped at his nose.

Sam grinned. "That's exactly what my dad told me when we moved here. We're going to get to graduate together, Daniel!" Daniel returned the grin, but before Sam could move in with her intended hug, he sneezed loudly. "Oh, Daniel, are your allergies bothering you too much?"

Daniel shook his head as he blew his nose. "Not really. It's the usual. Travel tends to set them off, though, and it takes a little while for them to settle down. I wish I knew what the stuff was that Sergeant O'Neill gave me when I went out to Colorado Springs. I didn't have a twitch the entire time I was there."

The young lady waited until the scrap of cloth had been put away then went ahead with her intended action. "It's so great to know we have so much time together," she whispered into his ear as he brought his arms around her as tightly as hers were around him.

"I don't think there's much that could top this, Sam," Daniel whispered back. "Not only do I not have to worry about never hearing from you, we get to live near each other again."

"Life's finally giving us a fair shake, Daniel," Sam said as they separated.

Daniel nodded his agreement. "And we won't take it for granted," he vowed.

The two of them shared a wide smile then tucked into their previously forgotten lunches and caught up like the old friends they were.

* * *

"Dear Daniel, 

"That's great that you and Sam ran into each other at school, and it's very cool that you'll be able to stick together until you're finished. I'm really happy for both of you. I know how much it was tearing you apart that you didn't know what had happened to her, and I'm sure she was just as torn up about you. Now the both of you better behave yourselves. Remember your ages.

"I'm glad you had a good time at the Valentine's Day dance with Sam. Personally, I hate social functions like that. You have to dress up and watch your manners. And if you don't kiss up to just the right people you could be wrecking your career. Just ask Sam. Or her dad. I bet they know what I'm talking about.

"Thinking of social functions, I took Sara to the last one I had to go to. General Bischoff's wife had it planned for months, and my CO told me it would be in my best interest to be there. I guess she'd heard a few things about me (no, I'm not telling you what they were. I wish I didn't know!) and was curious to meet me and my girlfriend. You should have seen Sara, Daniel. She was so beautiful that night. She wore a black evening gown with a high neck but no sleeves (I'm sure you could describe it so much better than I can), and there were sequins that caught the low lights at the general's house just right so she looked like she was glowing. I had a hard time tearing my eyes away to play nice with the higher-ups. And when we danced...

"Daniel, I said it. When I dropped her off at her apartment, she told me she'd had a wonderful time and was about to get out of the car when I grabbed her wrist. She looked at me, confused, making her forehead get that cute wrinkle I like so much. For a long moment I just stared at her, speechless. And then it just came out. I knew Sara's patience was about to run out and I just blurted it out. I actually told her I love her. And the smile she gave me... wow! She leaned over, kissed me senseless, and said, "Of course you do. I've known it all along. But it's about time you said something." All I could do was sit there and blink!

"I won't go into details about how the rest of the night went. But I've found it's a little easier to say now that I've gotten that first time out of the way. I have to ask you one question, though. Is it strange that it took me over two and a half years?

"Life's been uneventful otherwise. My CO recently asked me if I'd consider going into Special Ops training. I haven't decided. I think a lot's going to depend on Sara. I'm beginning to think she's the one, Daniel, and if she doesn't like the idea of me going into Special Ops, I'm not sure I could do it. I'll have to talk to her I guess. What do you think about it?

"I'll keep you updated, and say hi to Sam for me. Hope to hear from you again soon.

"Your friend,

"Jack"

* * *

Spring semester in El Segundo flew by once Sam and Daniel had reunited. Even Jack was with them in spirit, as he'd given Daniel permission to share bits of his letters with the girl he'd shared a desperate vigil with not six months previously. The younger pair spent lots of time together, even when Sam started dating a boy from her advanced auto shop class a month and a half before the end of the year. 

El Segundo High School's graduation ceremony that year was like many others seen across the nation. Miss Wagner asked Daniel to write a poem for the graduating class, surprising the senior class advisors as he was a junior, and two years younger than normal to boot. When none of the seniors came up with anything better, they begrudgingly conceded to the English teacher's wishes. Sam was part of the festivities as part of the orchestra. She complained that she didn't want to go - she was a third-chair violin - but with the seniors unable to participate she needed to fill in the gap.

"Why did Sam have such a problem playing with the orchestra?" Daniel asked Jacob after the new graduates had been presented to the crowd. He'd been able to rejoin the audience after he'd finished reading his piece. "Sam would never tell me."

"The only reason she learned to play in the first place was because her mother forced her. And the only reason she kept it up was because the violin was her mother's favorite instrument," the recently-promoted brigadier general explained.

"I see," Daniel said softly. He'd repeated his final benediction on the Class of 1980 in four different languages as a tribute to his own mother, as much as he'd explained it away as a representation of the world welcoming its newest bright stars.

Jacob gave him a small, understanding smile before looking back out at the milling crowd to try to spot his daughter. She hadn't returned to the bleachers when Pomp and Circumstance had finished. "Oh, wonderful," he grumbled when he caught sight of her. "She found Dave."

Daniel looked in the direction Jacob's eyes were locked on. "Yeah, she's been depressed that he'll be leaving at the end of the summer," he replied, ignoring the complaining tone.

"I'm not," the blonde's father said firmly. "He's been getting too touchy-feely with her lately. I think he's forgetting she's only sixteen, and just barely at that."

"Well, she did just finish her junior year," Daniel said, fighting back a snicker. "Although I kind of wish she wouldn't go driving with him quite so much. I'm beginning to miss her." He shook his head even before he'd finished his sentence. "That's not fair. It's not Sam's job to keep me entertained. And it's not like I haven't met a few other people I can spend time with."

Jacob lightly punched the young man's shoulder. "She's your best friend, Daniel. Well, one of them. You guys used to spend all your free time together. It's only natural that you're going to miss that when other things take up her time."

Daniel gave a small frown as he watched Dave run his hand through Sam's hair before kissing her lightly. "I guess so. But I'm also a bit worried for her. Dave's too reckless behind the wheel. And all that does is make Sam laugh all the harder."

Jacob blinked. He hadn't known about that. "So that's what goes on during their drives?"

Daniel's dark blond hair swirled around as his head snapped to face the older man. "I... I didn't mean to say that."

"But you did, Daniel. It's too late to take it back now. Is that what happens?"

"Yeah," the boy said with a sigh. "Dave doesn't like to take me with them anymore. At least, not since I told the police officer that pulled him over a couple weeks ago that he'd driven through the stop sign on purpose because he'd been racing a friend of his and that was their finish line. I think Sam might still be a little mad at me about that one."

"Maybe. But then again, she couldn't be too mad, since she's had you over for dinner more times than not over the past two weeks. You did the right thing, Daniel," Jacob said earnestly. "He could have easily caused an accident with behavior like that."

"I know, and I'd do it again. There's just been something about the way Sam's been with me that tells me something's wrong." Daniel's eyes narrowed and his posture stiffened. "Is it just me, or does that look like an argument?" He gestured toward the happy couple that suddenly didn't look too happy.

Jacob took a closer look. "It's not just you."

Just then, Dave abruptly turned away from Sam as she was obviously in the middle of saying something, walking off toward a group of his friends that were waiting not far from him. Sam stared after him for a long moment, sighed, and trudged back toward the bleachers. "Hey, Dad, Daniel," she said in a cheerful tone that was completely forced once she reached the two males waiting for her.

Jacob's eyebrows rose. "If you're going for convincing, you're going to have to try again, Sammy. What happened with Dave?"

"You saw that?" The girl looked stricken.

"We were wondering where you'd gone and saw you with him," Daniel explained. "Then we saw him walk away from you not looking too happy."

Sam sighed. "I guess he decided that since he was leaving at the end of the summer anyway, it wasn't worth it to stay with someone as young as me." Her eyes never met those of either her father or her friend, and they both knew that meant she was hiding something.

The men shared a look. "That must be rough, sweetheart," Jacob said sympathetically. "Losing your first 'significant other' always is." He offered his arms for a hug.

She took him up on the offer. "Yeah, so I hear," she murmured into his shoulder. After another deep breath she turned her head to look at Daniel. "Thanks for waiting."

"Where else would I be?" Daniel said with a shrug. "Besides, I wanted to tell you the orchestra sounded great today."

"That's something I guess. Your poem was great, too." Sam pulled away from her father. "So where to now?"

"I take my two favorite teenagers out to dinner," Jacob announced. "After that, it's up to you." He grinned as he stood, then steered them through the still-lingering crowd and to his car.

Dinner went smoothly, both Daniel and Jacob avoiding the topic of Dave out of consideration for the hurt they could still see in Sam's eyes. Once they were done, they went back to the Carter home and Jacob disappeared into his study. "Are you sure everything's okay?" Daniel asked once he and Sam were alone on the couch in the living room.

"Why wouldn't everything be okay?" Sam replied shakily, again avoiding looking her friend in the eye.

"He hurt you, Sam. That by itself makes things not okay. But I don't think you're telling me everything that happened. Please tell me?" He watched her face carefully, his blue eyes wide and pleading behind his glasses.

Sam met that gaze and sank further into the cushions of the sofa. "He... he wanted to have a private celebration, just the two of us. He whispered a few things he wanted to do with me after he kissed me," here she began to blush furiously, "and how we could go as fast as I wanted. I told him I didn't want to go fast at all, that I wasn't ready for anything like that. That's when he accused me of doing something with you, since I still insisted on spending time with you even though he didn't like you."

"I figured he didn't care for me much after the stop sign thing," Daniel said to fill Sam's silent pause. "I was kind of afraid you didn't like me much either."

The young woman blinked in surprise. "Not like you? No way!"

Daniel shrugged. "You just seemed to withdraw from me a bit after that, that's all."

Sam shook her head decisively. "That wasn't it, I promise. I was just kind of torn. Dave kept ripping on you, and I really liked him - but you're my best friend. It felt like a major conflict of interest. You never made me feel that way, but part of me felt a bit guilty for spending time with you when Dave didn't want me to." Her eyes dropped. "I shouldn't have let him make me feel that way. I'll do my best to not let it happen again."

The blond young man was silent until Sam brought her gaze up again, then smiled gently. "I trust you, Sam. So what happened with Dave today?"

"I sputtered a bit after his accusation. I couldn't believe he'd say that! Then he said I was just a big tease, making it look like I was easy when I really wanted to play hard-to-get. That I made it look like I was fast and loose with my need for speed." Sam's eyes began to fill with tears. "Is there really something wrong with me liking to go fast?"

"It's part of who you are," Daniel said, shifting closer to his friend. "So, no, there's nothing wrong with it. And it's not your fault Dave jumped to the wrong conclusion about your intentions. As much as it hurts, it's probably better that you two aren't together anymore. If he spent that much time with you and still didn't understand you, he wasn't good enough for you."

Sam couldn't help but smile at the staunch support. "Thank you, Daniel. You make me feel so much better." She laid her head on the shoulder that was now so close to her own.

Daniel rested his cheek against the soft, blonde hair tickling his jaw. "That was the intention."

The two of them stayed that way for quite a while, until Jacob came out and announced he was making a late evening snack. Sam was surprised at how much better she felt, and proceeded to enjoy the rest of the night with the two most important men in her life.

* * *

"Are you ever going to tell me where we're going?" 

"Eventually. Now stop playing with that blindfold!"

"I hate not being able to see where I'm going. Where is that again?"

"It's going to be straight back to the car if you keep this up."

"It is not. You look forward to being with me too much."

Jack sighed. Sara had him there. "If I promise that we're almost there, will you stop asking?"

She laughed. "Fine, fine. As long as you're telling me the truth."

"Of course I am. Now be careful here. There's a slope."

Once the couple reached the top of the grass-covered hill, Jack sat his girlfriend down on the blanket that was already laid out and set up the telescope that had been tucked under his arm. "Jack? You didn't go anywhere, did you?" Unknown to the blonde, the tall, brown-haired man grinned down on her and moved to the other side of the telescope to fine tune it. "Jack? Oh, you better not have brought me up here to just walk away. That would not be funny. Did you hear that, Jack?" she shouted. "Abandoning me isn't funny!"

Jack somehow managed to keep from laughing as he silently uncovered a small cooler that held a bottle of wine on ice and two glasses. Her patience had to run out sometime...

Sara finally gave up on getting a response and snatched at the black cloth over her eyes, gasping when she saw the scene before her. The telescope she and Jack usually took out to watch the stars was in place almost directly in front of her just past the edge of the blanket she was sitting on, already situated at a good angle to look up at the night sky. There were no trees on the hilltop, and behind them was a glow of lights that showed where Colorado Springs waited for their return. The cooler she hadn't heard Jack retrieving sat open to her right, the bottle of wine nestled in the melting ice and the two glasses resting to either side. A picnic basket was on the ground at Jack's feet, and the man himself was standing next to the telescope with his arms crossed over his chest, an amused smile threatening to grow into a full-fledged, face-splitting grin. "When... when did you find the time to set all this up?" she asked breathlessly.

"I actually had the whole day off, not just the half day I told you," Jack said with a shrug.

"This is so romantic!" Sara exclaimed, still reeling from the shock.

"Hey, I'm capable of being romantic from time to time," Jack said indignantly. Sara just looked at him with her eyebrows raised. "Well, I am." She continued to stare at him. "Okay, fine. I asked a couple of guys on the base for some ideas. And when those didn't trip my trigger I asked Daniel. For a fifteen-year-old, the kid's got style. I took everything and came up with this." He gestured vaguely at their surroundings.

Sara's smile returned. "Then thank them all for me. This is wonderful."

The two of them sat close together and shared the dinner Jack had packed in the picnic basket. It took longer than usual due to the number of kisses interspersed with the bites of food. Afterward they sipped at the wine and waited for the meteor shower that was supposed to take place that night. "This stuff is good," Sara commented, her eyes lazily scanning the sky.

"I'd hope so. I purposefully went out and got your favorite brand." Jack nudged her with his shoulder.

"I guess I was too surprised to notice."

Jack chose not to comment, instead standing up to check the telescope. "I think it's starting," he announced, offering a hand to help his lady to her feet.

For the next five minutes Jack stood back and watched the woman that he loved look through the eyepiece of the telescope, frozen in fascination. Little sounds of surprise and delight escaped her lips on occasion, and each one softened his expression a tiny bit more. His eyes flitted up to the night sky after a few of the louder exclamations, and finally settled there as he firmed his resolve. "It's interesting to note that the potential for wish-granting has gone completely off the scale tonight," the officer said, the glowing streaks highlighting the view keeping up a steady pace.

Sara brought her head up to look at him, a bright smile on her face. "I know. I've been trying to remember the entirety of my wish list."

"I've only got one I want granted with any kind of urgency," Jack said casually, his head not turning from the panoramic scene above him. "But I don't think it would do any good to call on a falling star or ten."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm going to have to go straight to the source."

"You are so confusing."

Jack rotated his head to look Sara right in the eyes. "This is actually one time I don't want to be," he said seriously. He let the rest of his body follow his head's lead, his right hand digging in his light jacket's pocket. "Ever since I said those three magic words to you without even thinking about it, I've been thinking about it. You're always on my mind. And I think it's about time to bring this to a conclusion." He watched Sara's eyes grow wide as he sank to one knee and drew a small black velvet box out of his pocket. "The night I told you I loved you I started to realize that I really couldn't picture my life without you in it. Now it's time to seal the deal. I want to have you near me for the rest of my life. Will you promise me that you'll stay? Sara Tyler, will you marry me?" He opened up the velvet box to reveal a thin gold band in the shape of an Irish claddagh with the two hands holding a diamond heart.

Tears suddenly welled up in the wide eyes staring down at the kneeling man. "Oh my God, Jack," she murmured breathlessly, her hands flying up to her mouth.

Jack couldn't help but smile. "So is that a yes or a no?" he asked impishly.

Sara laughed. "Yes! Yes, I'll marry you, Jack O'Neill! Oh my God, I love you!" She fell to her knees and threw her arms around Jack's neck as the tears flowed unchecked down her cheeks.

"I love you, Sara," he muttered into her hair as his arms automatically wrapped around her waist. "You've just made me the happiest man in the world, hands down." He pulled back and brought the ring box between them, switching it to his left hand as his right caught Sara's left. He grinned as her breath caught, then slipped the ring onto the appropriate finger. "My gran gave this to me right before she died during my junior year of high school and told me she hoped I'd find the right woman to give it to someday."

Sara brought her hand up to her lips and kissed the new addition. "I'm beyond honored that you've given it to me then, Jack. I only hope she's watching us from above and agrees with your decision."

"Oh, I'm sure she's smiling down on us, if that's what you're worried about. And now I believe we're forgetting the most important step to this whole thing."

"And what's that?"

Jack's answer wasn't in words. He rose to his feet, pulling Sara up with him, and took her back into his arms, his face lowering quickly to capture her lips with his own. She returned the kiss with equal passion. They were the happiest they'd ever been, and even the heavens seemed to rain down their blessings as the meteor shower continued to brighten the sky with its celestial illumination.

* * *

Sam's brows furrowed as she watched Daniel finish reading his latest letter from Jack. They were sitting under a pier on their favorite beach, and had been chatting about a book they'd decided to read together, even as he read the letter, at least until the last page. The first line cut Daniel off mid-thought, his eyes growing wide and his jaw dropping more and more the further down he got. Sam kept quiet as she didn't know what to say. She hoped it wasn't anything bad. 

But now Daniel sat with the multi-page letter in his lap, his eyes distant as they looked out over the ocean. His expression was that of incredulous disbelief. Sam doubted he even realized she was still there. "Um, Daniel? What did Jack have to say?"

Her question startled the young man back to the real world. "Oh! Sorry, Sam. Didn't mean to zone out on you."

Sam dismissed the thought with an impatient wave of her hand. "What did Jack say?"

"Jack..." Daniel looked down at the pile of paper he held in his hand in his lap then met Sam's gaze. "Jack's getting married!"

"What? Really?" A grin blossomed on the blonde's face. "He asked Sara?"

"And she apparently said yes." Daniel shook his head. "I can't believe it."

Sam looked at him confused. "I thought you said they were in love."

Daniel nodded. "They are."

"So why are you so surprised he asked and she said yes?"

He blinked and gave himself a small shake. "That's not what I'm surprised about. Remember when Jack asked me what I thought would make a romantic evening?"

This wasn't lessening her confusion. "Yeah. As I recall you came up with something quite nice."

Daniel shrugged self-consciously, blushing a touch at the soft-spoken compliment. "I guess Sara thought so too. It seems Jack took my idea and that of a couple of friends from Peterson and treated Sara to a romantic evening under the stars to watch a meteor shower. She liked it a lot and had Jack thank the people that helped him come up with the idea."

"So you're surprised Jack used your idea and it was successful?"

"That's part of it. I didn't think he was going to use the night to propose! Wow." A smile finally began to form on his face. "Wow," he repeated much softer. Then he sighed, the smile fading. "I think I'm a little jealous."

"Jealous? Of what? Aren't you a little young to be getting married?" Sam gave him an amused smile.

It wasn't returned, and Sam quickly wiped hers off. "I thought I was more mature than this, but I don't think I like the idea of sharing him."

Sam was confused again. "But he and Sara have been together for three years now. You've been 'sharing' him for all this time."

"Sara's been his girlfriend for three years. It wasn't anything permanent, although it was long-term. But now she's going to be his wife. They're going to promise their lives to each other, to have and to hold, til death do they part. She's not going anywhere, and may even have a stronger hold on him than I ever have." Daniel sighed again, this one tinted with disgust aimed at himself.

Sam put her arm around his shoulders, knowing by his lack of relaxation under the touch that there wasn't going to be a quick fix to this. "You're afraid of being left out of his life." Daniel shrugged. "You won't. I mean, think about it. You're probably the first person he told about it," she assured him, gesturing to the forgotten letter. "He even used your idea to make it happen."

Daniel nodded, letting his head hang down. "I know. Logically I understand everything you're saying. But Jack's been a part of my life since I was six. For almost ten years - over half my life - he's been an important part of my life. I've seen so many important people in my life get taken away or walk away that it's hard not to think that Jack's just going to be the next statistic."

Sam was silent for a moment, her eyes closing as she considered what to say next. She desperately wanted to lift Daniel out of his depression and hopefully past this very normal reaction. "Daniel," she said as she reopened her eyes, "Jack has gone out of his way to be there for you all this time. His relationship with Sara hasn't effected that in the least. It won't change that now."

"Like I said, logically I understand that, and I even agree. And like I told Sara at Jack's graduation when she asked if I was jealous of their relationship, the fact that Jack is sharing the highs and lows in his relationship, that he's willing to ask for my opinion about things relating to her and that opinion means something, that's all the evidence I need to see that truth. It's logical, it's rational, and it doesn't seem to be making a bit of difference." Daniel shook his head slightly.

"Your head isn't listening to your heart, is that it?" Sam asked sympathetically.

"Pretty much." He took a deep breath and released it. "I'll get over this, I know I will. I just need some time."

Sam smiled as Daniel finally relaxed and rested his head against her shoulder. She knew that he meant what he said. "Time is something you have plenty of," she said softly. "And I'll be there with you every step of the way." Daniel didn't respond, but she could feel his smile form against her skin. She knew everything would be all right.


	10. Chapter 10

Okay, folks, I need to make a request. Whatever you may think, stick with me. And remember, I made no promises...

* * *

Chapter Ten

* * *

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" Brad Richards, Sam's latest boyfriend, asked as he pulled up in front of the house Sam had pointed out. 

"Yes, Brad. You know Daniel and I are friends. It only makes sense for us to want to go to the homecoming dance together." She paused as the young man next to her narrowed his eyes. "That didn't come out right," she said, cringing.

"Go get him and let's get this over with."

Sam hopped out of the car and went up to the front door. She didn't have to wait long after she'd pressed the doorbell before Daniel answered it. She was surprised when she realized she actually had to look up at him slightly. Wasn't it just yesterday that they were eye to eye in height? "Oh, hi, Sam," he greeted her with a smile. "Rebecca's just doing a last-minute once-over of her hair and make up."

The blonde laughed. "I completely understand. You know, this is a really nice thing you're doing for her."

Daniel shrugged. "It's her first chance to go to a 'real' dance, as she put it. And since she's a freshman, the only way she can go is if a senior takes her. It's not like I had a date."

"Aren't you a little worried about the ribbing you might get for taking your foster sister?"

"Like I don't get teased as it is? Glasses, out-of-date flannel shirts, and an affinity for books are not a recipe for popularity." He gave her a rueful grin that quickly turned genuine. "But who needs popularity when I can't do any better than the friends I have?"

Before Sam could respond, Rebecca Grant, Daniel's fourteen-year-old foster sister, came bouncing up and grabbed a hold of Daniel's arm. "Thank you again, Daniel," the petite brunette said with a wide grin. "This really means a lot."

Daniel smiled down on her. "You're welcome, Rebecca. Now we should really get going. I think Sam's boyfriend is getting impatient."

Sam spun around at the comment and realized Daniel was right. Brad was leaning over on the front bench seat of his car glaring out the passenger side window. "Uh, yeah. Let's go."

Three hours later, the four of them had gone to dinner and were currently sitting in the bleachers on the western side of the gym the dance was being held in. "I'm a bit thirsty," Rebecca announced, having just gotten done dancing to a couple fast-beat songs with a large crowd of other people. "I'm going to go over to the refreshment table and grab something. Did you want anything, Daniel?"

"No thank you," Daniel replied.

"Sam?" she asked the blonde sitting next to her foster brother.

"Sure. But I think I'll go with you. Brad, can I get you something?"

He nodded. "Just a glass of punch would be fine, thanks." He watched the two girls go then turned to Daniel with a scowl. "You know, I really don't get what Sam sees in you."

Daniel blinked in surprise. "What?"

"You heard me."

"Okay, you've got me there, but that doesn't mean I understand what you mean."

"The way she's always talking about you, all the study sessions, her insisting on making this a double date when she found out you were taking your sister..."

"_Foster_ sister," Daniel corrected him.

Brad shrugged it off. "All that tends to make a guy think there might be something else going on," he continued. "Or that another guy might be trying to get something else going on." His voice had turned cold and his gaze sharp.

Daniel sighed. "Sam is my friend. There's nothing beyond that going on between us. And I don't have any designs on changing that."

The older boy scoffed. "Oh, come on. You can't tell me you don't think Sam's hot."

"I don't believe I ever said anything like that."

"Then you _do_ want her!"

"I didn't say that either. Sam is an attractive young woman, very much so. But she's my friend, one of my best friends. And that's all there is to that." Daniel was beginning to get irritated with the conversation.

"Sam just seems to care a lot more about you than any friend I've ever had." Suspicion was still thick in Brad's tone.

Daniel's irritation had reached its apex and he rose to his feet. "Then I guess you haven't had the right friends," he said a bit haughtily before walking off in the direction the girls had gone.

Sam and Rebecca turned around surprised when Daniel joined them in the middle of their girl talk. "Daniel, is something wrong?" Sam asked, concerned when she realized her friend's face was an emotionless mask.

"Everything's fine," Daniel replied, forcing a smile onto his face. "I just decided I wanted something to drink."

"Why don't I buy that?" Sam insisted, shifting her fists to rest on her hips.

"Really, Sam, I'm fine," Daniel repeated, sounding much more natural as his body relaxed. "You don't have to worry."

Rebecca watched with wide eyes as Sam physically backed down. She'd never seen a guy and a girl who weren't dating act this concerned about each other before. Daniel had told her it was possible for a person to have a deep, fulfilling friendship with a member of the opposite sex, but she hadn't believed him until that very moment. She'd seen Sam with Brad, and they were very obviously a couple, but yet she was just as obviously close to Daniel. It was a valuable lesson.

Sam sighed. "I'm probably going to do that anyway, but I'll let it go for now. So how about sharing the next slow song?"

Daniel shook his head. "Thanks for the offer, but I believe I owe one to Rebecca." He smiled at shorter girl. "You've only had a chance to dance to the upbeat stuff."

The petite brunette grinned. "I'd love that, thank you."

"Later then, Daniel?" Sam asked, unperturbed.

"I'll have to check my dance card," Daniel said with mock hauteur before grinning. "That and I think Brad's beginning to miss you." There was a flicker of something that flashed through the crinkled blue eyes at the other boy's name, but it was gone before it could be identified.

Sam laughed. "You may have a point. I'll go take him his punch." She grabbed a glass and headed back.

Daniel and Rebecca watched her go. Then, as the two of them stepped into the crowd of swaying couples at the start of the next song, a slow ballad, Rebecca put her arms around Daniel's neck and gave him a quizzical look. "Hey, Daniel," she began, her tone revealing her confusion as much as her expression. "There's just one question I have about that whole exchange."

"Yes?" he returned a bit stiffly, slipping his arms around her waist and beginning to lead her slowly around the dance area.

"What's a dance card?"

Daniel was caught completely off-guard by the question and began to laugh, quickly setting off his dance partner. They ended up laughing through the whole song.

* * *

"Dear Daniel, 

"Well, I have to admit your last letter was very interesting. I never would have expected you of all people to get involved in a fight, even as limited an involvement as you had. Is Brad out of the hospital yet? How's your shiner doing? Can Sam use her right hand yet? Did Rebecca get in trouble when you two got home?

"You'd think anyone who was dating Sam would realize that you guys are best friends and because of that are a package deal. Sara had to realize that with me (thanks for talking to her at my graduation by the way - I bet you thought I didn't know about that). Any girlfriend you end up with is going to have to realize you're a package deal too. And they'd been dating how long? A month and a half? Is he really that stupid? Don't answer that. I think the answer is abundantly clear.

"The one thing I have to ask is did you realize you were lighting his fuse when you danced with Sam near the end of the night? He'd already gotten in your face about how close you were to his girlfriend, and then you go and dance with her. Some guys are bound to take that as rubbing things in their face, and they usually don't take it very well. What happened that night is the perfect example. Although it was Sam who asked, so I can't really give you that hard a time.

"As incredible as the whole scenario is, I could just picture the whole thing playing out. Brad coming up to the two of you dancing and shoving you apart, swearing at you at the top of his lungs before throwing a punch that knocks you to the floor. Sam follows that up with a shove, pushing Brad away from you and the rest of the crowd, yelling at him the entire time. He shoves her back, inciting Rebecca to jump forward and grab onto his legs, making him topple over to the crowd's amusement. However, she inadvertently takes a heel to the chin, knocking her back out of the fight. Meanwhile, you manage to catch Sam before she can fall, and spend the time it takes for Brad to tussle with Rebecca and get back on his feet trying to convince her to stop fighting, that it isn't worth it. She's a bit too riled up and gets back in Brad's face once he's regained his feet, although she does restrain herself physically out of respect for you. Her words and his reluctance to hit a girl have Sam forcing him back toward the equipment storage room, reaming him out the whole way with him snapping back just as angrily. Finally, he's had enough and cocks back a fist. You and Rebecca, who have followed them out of major concern, yell out a warning, letting Sam dodge the blow, inadvertently slamming her hand into the concrete brick wall. But the punch throws Brad off balance, and when Sam jumps back to where she'd been standing, she accidentally forces him to fly into the storage room, whose door is unexpectedly unlocked. His uncontrolled tumble proceeds to bring the shelves down on him in their entirety, requiring an ambulance to take him to the hospital. Thankfully, a couple of the chaperones and a whole lot of students witnessed the event, and their statements on top of your accounts get you off with only a slight admonishment, as the administration doesn't want to do anything to tarnish the records of the daughter of an Air Force general stationed at the base that provides a whole lot of income to the area and a foster care prodigy who are both looking at enough scholarships to significantly reduce the national debt because they're both geniuses and the world knows it. All in all, an extremely eventful evening that ends with all three heroes collapsing in their beds exhausted after getting checked out by the EMTs that came for Brad. Pure entertainment, at least for me.

"Sara just told me I really should give my imagination a rest. She may be right.

"Thinking of Sara, you'll notice that this was a package instead of just a letter. She insisted on sending along a batch of her homemade carrot cake bars with cream cheese frosting and her best wishes. Share them with Sam and Rebecca; you've all earned them.

"For now, I should wrap this up. It's long enough as it is.

"Oh, and by the way, Daniel... what is a dance card?

"Your friend,

"Jack"

* * *

Sam and Daniel sat on the couch in the Carter living room, both staring at the pages Daniel had just finished reading from. "I swear," he said, letting the hand that held the letter fall into his lap, "sometimes that man scares me." He pushed his glasses up his nose and flinched as the left arm touched the side of his face. The area around his eye was still a bit swollen and tender, not to mention becoming quite colorful. 

"Are you sure you didn't tell him any details?" Sam asked, mindlessly fidgeting with the ace bandage on her right wrist as she failed to tear her eyes away from the ink-covered paper her friend held.

"I only gave him the sketchiest description on top of a list of our injuries. Oh, and I told him about what Rebecca and I talked about while we danced." Daniel shook his head.

"Then you're right, that man is scary."

Daniel silently nodded, and the two of them continued to stare at the eerie letter.

* * *

The rest of the fall semester of Sam and Daniel's senior year went by uneventfully, especially in comparison to the happenings at homecoming. Jack wrote that he and Sara were no closer to deciding on where they were going to have their wedding ceremony, although they were in agreement that they would be paying for Daniel to get there. Mark wrote that things were still going well for him and his fiancé, and that he was looking forward to having Sam come to Florida for the ceremony. There was no mention of Jacob. 

Daniel once again spent Christmas with the Carters, having had Christmas with his foster family on Christmas Eve. Jack had sent him an expensive fishing rod and a selection of lures, with a note that said he hoped he'd get a chance to see them in action someday. Jacob gave him a card with an IOU for a plane ride the next time they had a chance. And Sam gave him a book about the history of astronomy and the importance of it to ancient cultures. She told him she also had a copy, and they could read it together since it combined some of their interests.

As for Daniel, he sent Jack yet another pencil drawing and the myth behind it, this one of the Hindu goddess Nirrti presiding over a field of dead bodies in her office as a goddess of death, her body only partially visible as it seemed to fade into the background. Along with Jack's present was one for Sara, a drawing of Jack scowling at an unrepentant Cupid even as he held Sara close, an arrow sticking out of her shoulder and his butt. It was well-received. For Jacob, Sam had smuggled Daniel a couple of old picture albums from before her mother's accident, and the young man had used them to draw a collage of headshots showing the evolution of the Carter family. And for Sam, Daniel had drawn a picture of her riding a fast-moving comet, laughing as she headed for the center of the galaxy.

Spring semester brought along a building excitement as well as an interesting announcement as graduation day grew closer and the principal called Sam and Daniel into his office to let them know that if they finished the year at the same level of academic excellence their school records showed they'd achieved over the years they would be the co-valedictorians of their graduating class. Jacob told them he would have been more surprised if they hadn't ended up valedictorians before taking them out to a celebratory dinner. As for what was going to happen after graduation, Sam had already made her choice, but Daniel had a number of offers to choose from, and was having a difficult time of it. He could only be grateful he had time before the deadlines to do some extra research and sort out his feelings on the matter.

It was a beautiful spring night in late March when Sam had regretfully left Daniel to another list of pros and cons - he'd been narrowing down his choices slowly but surely that way - to go to a movie with her latest boyfriend. Will Glavin was the fifth one she'd had that semester, much to her chagrin, although she'd only initiated one of the breakups. She was determined that this relationship last.

"The stars are so clear tonight," Sam said wistfully as she and Will left the theater.

"Pollution's down," Will commented. "Did you want to go for a ride?"

Sam turned to him and smiled. "What do you think?"

They made their way to the Ford Mustang convertible Will's father had gotten him as an early graduation present, and soon found themselves flying along the back roads that surrounded the city. The top was down, the wind was in their hair, and Sam was overwhelmed by the feeling of glorious freedom that she always felt at times like this. She laughed, the sound being quickly left behind them as they turned a sharp corner. Only then did she realize where they were - or more appropriately, that she didn't know where they were.

"Um, Will? Where are we, anyway? We've never gone this way before."

He glanced over at her and gave her a comforting smile. "Don't worry, babe. I just thought you'd like to go somewhere you could see the stars better."

Sam flushed with delight that he'd thought of something like that. She really _had_ made a good choice this time. "That's wonderful, thank you. But where are we?"

The car began to slow down, and Will pointed at a billboard as they passed it. "I took some back roads to get here, but this is a new subdivision they're building. Only a few houses are finished, so we'll have lots of privacy."

"And no street lights to dim the view," Sam added happily.

"There's that," Will agreed.

The Mustang came to a halt in a secluded area at the end of the subdivision's cul-de-sac, and the couple sat there for a few silent moments contemplating the surrounding area. Sam's head tilted upward, and a small smile graced her features. Will sat and watched her. "You may like looking at the stars," he commented, "but I think I've got the better view."

Sam blushed and brought her gaze back down to Earth. "Thanks," she said almost shyly.

"And I have the added benefit of being able to reach out and touch mine." His hand reached out and cupped her cheek, before gently pulling her unresisting form closer to him. Just before their lips met, he whispered, "And you can't do this with the stars."

The kiss was amazing. It went on and on, deepening as Will's tongue sought entrance to taste the inside of Sam's mouth. Both pairs of hands glided over arms and sides, gripping and kneading periodically as the mood struck them. But Sam drew back quickly when Will attempted to cup one of her breasts. "I'm sorry, Will," Sam gasped apologetically, settling back into the passenger side seat. "I'm just not ready for that."

Sam's eyes widened at the transformation she saw take place in her boyfriend. He was suddenly furious. "You God damn tease! After all your talk about liking it fast and dangerous, you're actually going to sit there and tell me you're not ready? All the guys you've gone with before bragged about how you liked your rides, and you back out on me? You fucking cock tease!"

"What?" Sam cried, flinching back against the car door in surprise. "I wasn't trying to tease you! When it comes to fast and dangerous I was talking about driving! Which head was listening?" Her hopes for a deep, long-term relationship had fallen down around her ears, leaving her hurt and angry. Will wasn't the first guy to think this about her. In fact, this was becoming a bit too common. But what had he said? All the guys she'd been with before had bragged about being with her? "I'll have you know you're information's wrong," she continued harshly before Will could respond to her question. "I never did anything with them like that. Not that they didn't want to, but I said no."

"Like I said, a God damn cock tease," Will snarled. "No wonder you can't keep a man interested. You all skinny and lanky, constantly showing off how smart you are at school, lying about your need for speed to get a guy to think about being seen with you... You want to play games? Fine. But you just lost." He leaned over, making Sam stiffen with fear, and before she realized what was happening she found herself on her back in the dirt, Will having opened the door behind her. "Have fun walking home," he sneered.

Sam barely rolled out of the way in time to avoid being hit by the car door as Will slammed it shut without consideration, then covered her head with her arms as dirt and debris flew out from rapidly spinning tires. It wasn't long before Will and his Mustang were out of sight. The blonde young woman stared after the dissipating dust cloud for a long while, unaware of the tears streaming down her cheeks. Finally she got herself to her feet, dusted herself off, and headed for the glow that marked where El Segundo was.

She'd walked for a little over half a mile before she found a paved road heading in the direction she wanted to go. Another half mile after that she came across a small two-pump gas station, closed for the night, but still with a sight she was grateful for - a pay phone just to the right of the entrance of the main building. Fortunately she hadn't bothered with a purse that night and kept most of her money and ID in the back pocket of her dress pants. Digging some change out of another pocket, she used it to call her father.

Sam sat huddled miserably next to the phone until she heard a car pull slowly into the station and come to a stop. Looking up she saw her father running toward her, not even shutting his door behind him in his rush. Jacob quickly pulled her up and into his arms and rocked her, murmuring soft words of comfort into her hair. Her arms tightened around him in return, and she rested her head against his shoulder.

That was when she noticed that her dad hadn't come alone. Daniel stood by the open passenger side door, watching the scene before him with a jumble of emotions on his face. He straightened a bit when he realized Sam had seen him, and tried to give her a small, supportive smile.

The young blonde didn't know what to think about this particular turn of events. On the one hand, she would never have wanted Daniel to see her at such a low. On the other hand, she wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around him like she had her father, holding him tight while she poured out her troubles the way she knew he would encourage her to. She was filled with such a torrent of emotions, ranging from shame and humiliation to a fierce anger, and she wasn't sure she wanted to inflict that on anyone, much less her father or her best friend. But she also knew she had to release it, or it would eat her alive. And there was only one person in the world she'd trust with her heart and soul like that.

Jacob Carter was angry. Ever since he'd received the phone call from his daughter telling him she was out in the middle of nowhere and needed a ride because her boyfriend broke up with her and abandoned her, his rage had been like a tea kettle on the stove, always getting closer and closer to blowing his top. As he had rushed to his car, he decided he had one stop to make before heading out. He knew he had a good relationship with his little girl, better than he'd ever hoped it would be after her mother died, but the person he knew she really needed was Daniel Jackson. Sam would tell him everything, and he had a feeling she'd need to before the night was through. Besides, he figured Daniel had a right to be there for her.

So he had stopped by Daniel's foster home and collected him, apologizing to Mrs. Neuman for coming by so late, even though it was a Friday night. Daniel had wisely waited until they were in the car and on their way before asking for an explanation, and had grown very quiet when he got it. They were both afraid of what they'd find when they got to Sam, and neither of them wanted to discuss the possibilities.

Now Jacob held his daughter in his arms, his anger pushed aside to allow him to be able to better comfort her. He knew when she'd registered Daniel's presence by the slight stiffening of her posture, and he worried for a moment that she'd be upset at his presumption. But then she relaxed again, and the set of her jaw told him she'd come to some kind of decision. Apparently it was time to leave.

"You ready to go, Sammy?" Jacob asked softly as he pulled away slightly to look her in the eye.

The tears he figured she hadn't even been aware of before had stopped. "Please," she whispered.

Daniel met the two Carters in front of the car. "I hope you don't mind that I'm here, Sam," he said gently, his eyes filled with sympathetic pain as he met her gaze.

Sam didn't answer with words. She merely walked up to him and slipped her arms around his waist, closing her eyes as she rested her head against his shoulder. She gave a sigh of relief when he returned the embrace and leaned his cheek against the side of her head. Daniel looked over at Jacob, his expression a bit lost, and the older man gestured for him to take Sam to the car.

It was a silent ride back to town. Only when they reached the turn to head down the four blocks to the Carter home did Sam bring her head up from its resting place in the crook of Daniel's shoulder. "Dad, could you take us to the park a block up from here?" she asked quietly.

Jacob frowned briefly with worry at the girl's tone and at the destination which would still leave her just outside of town, although he knew it was only a five-block walk from both their house and Daniel's foster home. The only thing that stopped him from saying anything was that she had said "us", suggesting she wanted Daniel to go with her. "Sure, Sammy. Just don't be out too late, all right?"

"Okay, Dad," she agreed.

"I'll make sure she gets home all right," Daniel assured him.

"I know you will, kid. I trust both of you."

Daniel decided to follow Sam's lead once they had both watched the taillights of Jacob's car drive out of sight once they were at the park. The blonde young woman gave him a tiny smile before taking his hand and leading him toward the thicket of trees on the far side away from the entrance. She didn't stop until they'd reached a small, open area in the trees, amazingly enough clear of the thick undergrowth that abounded and invisible to anyone who might casually be passing by. "Thank you for staying with me," she said quietly as she sat down and drew her knees up to her chest.

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be if you need me," Daniel replied, sitting next to her. "I have to admit, though, you've got me nervous. Your dad said Will had dumped you and left you in the middle of nowhere. He didn't... force you to do anything, did he?" The fear of such a thing having been done to one of his best friends radiated from him like rays from the sun.

Sam blinked, suddenly realizing what her silence and depression could be mistaken for. "Oh! No, no, Will didn't do anything like that. He didn't even really try. We were kissing and he tried to feel me up, but he didn't do anything more after I told him no."

Daniel gave a sigh of relief. "I'm glad it wasn't that. So what _did_ happen?"

Tears welled up in the blue-grey eyes one more time. "Daniel," she began in a broken voice, "do you think I'm a tease?"

"What? No, of course not," Daniel immediately refuted. "Did Will tell you that you were?"

"Yeah," Sam said in a small voice, looking down at the clenched hands in her lap.

"I have a feeling something else is bothering you. You've been called a tease before. What else did he say?"

Sam couldn't bring herself to meet Daniel's gaze. "He said that my ex-boyfriends bragged about how good I was, about how much I liked it. Everyone thinks I'm a slut!"

Daniel watched her carefully, his heart breaking at the pain and humiliation in his friend's tone. "I don't," he said softly, moving closer until there was only the slightest fraction of an inch between them on the soft green grass.

Sam gave a choked, humorless laugh. "I'm beginning to think you're the exception to every rule, Daniel."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"You would." Sam sharply broke off the banter and brought up her hands to cover her face. "I can't help but think that Will was right," she said with a sob. "Why would anyone want to be with me if they didn't think I was going to put out? I'm too skinny, my hair's too stringy, I'm always talking about things no one else is interested in and showing off how smart I am... I'm amazed anyone puts up with me at all!" Her shoulders began to shake as her crying started in earnest.

"Oh God, Sam," Daniel murmured. At the reminder of his presence so close to her, Sam leaned over to rest against his shoulder. Daniel took advantage of the opportunity to wrap his arm around her and hold her close. "I wish I knew what to say to make you realize how wrong you are."

"How... how can I be wrong?" Sam choked out as she tried to get herself under control. "Just look at my track record. It completely sucks."

"I have to admit I can't argue _that_. But those guys never saw you like I do. They were looking for someone they could get into bed - or the back seat I suppose - and not someone they could share themselves with." He gave a short laugh and squeezed her shoulders. "I think you'd say they were thinking with the wrong head."

Sam sniffed as she let a quick snicker escape. "But, Daniel..."

Daniel put a finger to her lips. "Hush. I'm not finished yet. What I see when I look at you is the most beautiful young woman I've ever laid eyes on. It's not just about your figure - which I happen to think is slim and shapely, by the way - it's about the soul that shines through. You're kind and giving, you stand up for what you believe in, you try to help people. You've certainly helped me over the years. As for physically... Your hair is like sunshine given physical form. Your intellect is something worth being proud of, and you are extremely capable of holding an interesting conversation with a variety of different people. You prove that every day at school in your study groups, and when you've gone with your dad to his military parties. You are a complete person, with faults and weaknesses I admit - you wouldn't be human without them. But they just enhance the package, not detract from it. Anyone who can't see that doesn't deserve you."

Sam pulled back a bit without leaving Daniel's embrace and searched his face. She had no doubt he was sincere, but the praise was so overwhelming and unexpected, not to mention delivered in the most heartfelt voice, that she couldn't help but gaze at him in wonder. She really looked at the vivid blue eyes sparkling behind the brown-framed glasses, the full lips pursed together with intensity, the longer dark blonde hair that threatened to fall into his eyes. At fifteen, Daniel Jackson still had some growing up to do, but as he had said about her, the beauty of his soul shined through with blinding brilliance.

When Sam had separated herself slightly from him, Daniel readily met her wide-eyed gaze. He hoped she could see the truth as he saw it and accept it as her own. When those blue-grey orbs began to flit across his features, he found himself doing the same in return. Her straight, shoulder-length hair was just as he'd described, framing the face he'd drawn so many times. She'd blossomed during the time they'd been apart and grown into a gorgeous young woman, one he was honored to have as a part of his life.

Blue met blue once again when their assessments and contemplative silences were over. Only a moment went by before the both of them followed the light tug they felt on their hearts, their lips meeting in a gentle physical joining that reflected the unseen and mostly unnoticed joining of their souls. As the kiss grew deeper, their lids fell shut and their arms automatically wrapped around each other.

Sam had thought the kiss she'd shared with Will earlier was something special, but it had nothing on this. Even with the slight tremors that denoted Daniel's nervousness, there was something more to this union than had ever been even possible with all of her previous boyfriends combined. The joy she felt at that knowledge let her give herself more completely to the sensations that were quickly beginning to overwhelm her.

Daniel inwardly reeled from the waves of passion that washed over him, all the time unable to stop them even if he'd wanted to. He'd never dreamed he could feel like this. Sure, he'd had a couple of crushes on teachers as he'd gone through school, and even on a few of his classmates, but nothing had prepared him for the reality of the storm of emotions he had been tossed in to. His lack of experience bothered him, but that thought was swiftly shoved out of the way as his body was becoming more and more willing to just wing it.

From there the two of them rapidly reached the edge of the cliff - and never hesitated to jump. The world outside the grove might well have not existed as soft gasps and moans filled the air. Gentle caresses, feather light kisses, and new, incredible experiences made up their existence until they touched the universe together and crashed back to Earth. They lingered for a short time when they were finished to bask in the afterglow, then separated to redress in the clothes that had been carelessly discarded previously.

Daniel was the first to cover himself, and he stood and watched as Sam buttoned up her dress pants and did the same with her blouse. As she reached the last one, he stepped forward and took a hold of her wrist, making her turn to face him, surprised at the rare example of Daniel initiating physical contact. "Did I convince you?" he asked softly, a tiny smile beginning to make an appearance.

"Convince me of what?" she retorted, a matching expression igniting a special twinkle in her eyes.

"How beautiful you are, how special, just what you mean to me."

"Is that what you were trying to say?" Sam said, her cheeks flushing and her tone turned shy. "How could I believe anything else with how eloquent you were?" she finally answered when Daniel merely stared at her. "I've never felt more precious."

Daniel's expression blossomed into a shy grin. "Then I said everything I needed to say."

"I don't think anyone could have said it better," Sam whispered. "And I hope you know I was saying something similar in return."

"I do." His eyes searched hers for a long moment, then he leaned forward and captured her lips with his own. When they finally fulled apart, he rested his forehead against hers and sighed in contentment.

They locked gazes for a long time. "I should probably be getting home," Sam said finally. "I don't want my dad to get too worried."

"I understand. I should go home, too. Your dad didn't give Mrs. Neuman too much of an explanation when he came to pick me up."

"Will you come over tomorrow?"

"You bet I will. We have a study session, remember?" Daniel smiled.

"Then I guess I'll see you then."

"See you then."

They stood in the same pose for another minute or so, then reluctantly went their separate ways. Their dreams that night were sweet and gentle and filled with visions of each other.


	11. Chapter 11

ANs: Thanks yet one more time for all the reviews. For all of you who cheered for the Sam/Daniel pairing, be patient. For all of you who didn't like it, be patient. There's a whole lot more story ahead of us. : )

* * *

Chapter Eleven

* * *

Daniel woke up with a start the next morning, a dream having let him relive the events of the night before. What was confusing was the difference in how it made him feel. With Sam actually beside him, he had been filled with a warmth he'd never experienced before. In the growing light of dawn, alone in his bed, the beginnings of shame and self-loathing were starting to make an appearance. Actually looking at the night as a whole instead of living in the moment, it was apparent that Sam had been emotionally distraught when... everything... had started. So why hadn't he stopped it before it went too far?

"It felt good, that's why," Daniel said to himself harshly. "You'd just gone on about how her previous boyfriends all thought with the wrong head, and then you did it yourself. Way to go, Daniel. Way to boost your friend's confidence." He sighed and rubbed his hands over his face.

Knowing he wasn't going to be getting any more sleep, the young man got out of bed and started his usual morning routine. Once he was showered and shaved - the time in the bathroom spent berating himself under his breath for taking advantage of Sam's vulnerability - he heard his foster mother making breakfast. He decided to get dressed and find out if there was anything he could do to help. He might as well do something right this weekend.

"Something seems to be bothering you," Mrs. Neuman noted as she and Daniel ate the pancakes and fresh fruit they'd prepared. Extra batter and fruit waited in the refrigerator for the other members of the household to wake up. "Does it have something to do with General Carter picking you up last night?"

"Sam's boyfriend dumped her and left her stranded out in the middle of nowhere," Daniel said softly. "She was really upset by the whole situation." He never lifted his gaze from his plate.

"And you hurt for her," the older woman concluded. She smiled. "I'm sure you did everything you could for her last night, Daniel." She never noticed the slight flinch her words produced in the young man. "You're supposed to be going over there today for one of your study sessions, aren't you? That'll give you another chance to make sure things are okay for her."

Daniel had almost forgotten about the study session. For a brief moment he considered backing out, but then he realized it gave him the opportunity to apologize for his reprehensible behavior and hopefully salvage his friendship. "Yeah, I guess so," he finally said when he realized she was waiting for a response. "I _do_ need to make sure things are okay."

Mrs. Neuman nodded. "Then why don't you head on over as soon as you finish your chores? The sooner you see her, the better you'll feel." She swallowed the last bite of her breakfast and took her dishes into the kitchen.

Daniel took a deep breath and released it. He dreaded the upcoming meeting. Yet it was also a great opportunity to fix things before they got too broken. He'd just have to make sure that happened. Sam was too precious to let go without a fight. His mind made up, Daniel downed the last of his orange juice and got up to take care of his chores. His friendship with Sam was waiting.

* * *

Jacob Carter was shocked when he saw the time on the clock next to his bed when he woke up the next day. He'd been far too concerned about his daughter's well-being to sleep well, although he continually reminded himself that since she'd come in from her discussion with Daniel _humming_, things couldn't be too bad. He'd been surprised at the sound when she'd reached the top of the stairs. Then again, she'd been with Daniel, and he knew that boy had an amazing ability to make his little girl feel better. 

Shaking off the late hour of nine o'clock, the older man began going through his daily rituals, finally wrapping his worn blue robe around himself and heading down the hall to check on Sam before starting breakfast. He paused before knocking, however, when he heard the muffled sound of tears. "Sammy?" he asked worriedly. "Is everything okay?"

"No!" Sam shouted through a sob. "I've ruined everything!"

"I doubt that," Jacob refuted. "I'm coming in."

Sam offered no protest as Jacob slipped inside the room. The blonde was curled up in the fetal position hugging her pillow to her chest, currently resting her cheek on it to stare at her father as she sniffled herself back under control. "You don't know what happened last night," she whispered.

The elder Carter shook his head. "You're right, I don't. But I will if you tell me."

The girl's cheeks turned a deeper shade of red that had nothing to do with the force of her previous crying. "I... really don't feel comfortable telling you, Dad. I'm sorry."

"Ah. Something just between you and Daniel, huh?" He gave her a small smile.

"Well..." Sam hesitated, unsure what else to say.

"It's okay, Sammy. I won't push you too hard, but could you answer me just one thing? Just to make me feel better?" He waited for her cautious nod. "Will didn't force himself on you, did he? Or try?"

Sam blinked a bit in surprise. She'd forgotten that Daniel had jumped to that conclusion as well. "No, Dad, I promise," she said quickly. "He didn't try anything after I told him no."

Jacob released a sigh of relief before sitting down on the bed and giving Sam's exposed arm a squeeze. That had been his greatest worry. "Then I'm okay. Here, let me see if I can make you feel a little better. You probably don't remember this, but for a few years after you were born I was stationed over in Germany. There was a guy in our unit, Jimmy Gibson, who prided himself on being able to take his pick of the ladies. Obviously _I_ wasn't going to be competing for the honor, although your mother thought it was funny when she heard I'd managed to shut him up for a little while by telling him I'd already won that title. I mean, I was married to the most beautiful woman in the world and her daughter wasn't anything to sneeze at either." He grinned and brushed a few strands of hair out of Sam's face. He was happy to see the tiny smile that had formed on her face as she put aside her own worries to listen.

"Of course, I also told him that if he even _thought_ about trying to pick up my wife or daughter he'd regret it - and then he'd have to deal with me." Jacob chuckled briefly and shook his head. "Jimmy was always so easy to put in his place. Anyway, he liked to brag about his numerous conquests whenever the bunch of us would hang out at one of the local bars, to the point where some of the guys were ready to do pretty much anything to shut him up. One of their attempts was a bet. There was a young lady that came down to the bar regularly - long, brown hair, big green eyes, lots of curves, just the kind of woman Jimmy went for. The only thing was that she was obviously out of his league. Her clothes were high quality and expertly tailored, her nails manicured, her hair styled. She was a student at the local university, and liked to use one of the back corner tables to study." He frowned slightly. "I never did understand that." He shook his head and went back to the story.

"Well, the guys got together and told Jimmy they didn't think he was much of a ladies' man. That really ruffled his feathers. After some more goading, Jimmy told them he'd prove himself. They just had to pick his next conquest, and it was as good as made. Even I was grinning when five fingers pointed in unison to the table in the corner where our lovely young student sat studying."

"I take it Jimmy accepted the challenge," Sam said softly, her depression lingering but lighter than it had been before.

Jacob nodded. "Oh, yeah. His pride was on the line. We never figured out how he did it, but he managed to talk her into going out with him. They'd been together for two months - Jimmy gloating was _not_ a pretty sight - when apparently he moved too fast for her. She was so offended she left him stranded in the small town they'd gone to for their date. He ended up calling me for a ride back to base because he figured I'd give him the least amount of crap. Boy, was he wrong!" Both Carters laughed at that.

"But that's not the best part of the story. Jimmy wouldn't let her go. He constantly went over to her house to try to apologize and win her back. What he didn't know was that the base commander's daughter was this girl's best friend. She spent a lot of time over at that house... and she told her dad all about Jimmy's antics. Luckily for Jimmy, he just thought it was funny. Or did until the Romeo Incident."

"Romeo Incident?" Sam asked. "What was that?"

Jacob smirked and gave a little cough. "Jimmy took to standing below the girl's bedroom window at night, reading her poetry he'd written for her in his spare time. Trust me when I say that stuff was awful. He was constantly wandering around the base reading it to us and asking for opinions." He paused, a slightly confused expression on his face. "No matter how honest we were, it never discouraged him. Weird." He shook his head and continued. "Anyway, the big night came, and Jimmy was beneath her window, declaring his never-ending devotion. He saw a figure briefly come to the curtain-covered window, hesitate, then walk away. The light went off soon afterward. Figuring he'd about worn down her resistance, he jumped at his chance and climbed up the ivy-covered trellis attached to the outer wall. The window wasn't locked so he kept going until he landed with a thump inside the bedroom proper.

"The girl in the bed gasped and sat up at the noise. Jimmy rushed to the bed and took her in his arms, going on about how much he loved her and wanted to be with her. She struggled out of his arms and slapped him. Just as he'd grabbed her arms to keep her from doing it again, the lights turned on. There Jimmy was, gripping the commander's daughter as she sat up in bed, the ex-girlfriend and her parents standing in the doorway staring at them with their jaws on the ground. Turns out that the girl had given her friend her bed because she was allergic to the feather mattress in the spare room.

"Next thing Jimmy knew, the girl's brothers stormed into the room and bodily dragged him to the front door before literally tossing him out onto the street. He was told never to come again. When the base commander found out, he had Jimmy transferred back to the States so fast it was obvious he'd pulled in favors to make it happen. Jimmy would have been all right, since the commander had a great sense of humor, but his daughter's reputation in that town was shot after that. She eventually had to transfer to a college in England to get away from it all."

Jacob would have gone on, but he saw the change in Sam's expression at that point. "Sam? What is it?" Suddenly it occurred to him. "This whole thing with Will... You're worried about your reputation, aren't you?"

Sam shrugged, her eyes dropping to the pillow she still held. "You could say that. Considering... everything, I just don't want Daniel to think badly of me. I wouldn't blame him if he did."

"This is Daniel. I don't think he's capable of thinking badly of you."

"I don't know, Dad. This is pretty bad. I didn't exactly prove myself to be otherwise."

"While I'm not exactly sure what you're talking about, I do know this. You need to talk to Daniel, clear this up. He means too much to you for you to just let it go." He reached out again and laid his hand gently on her arm.

Sam sighed. "I know, but I'm just afraid..."

Her father gave her arm a squeeze. "Sam, remember, this is Daniel..." Jacob's encouragement was cut off by the doorbell. "I'll be right back, sweetheart." Sam nodded, and Jacob headed downstairs.

For a brief moment when he opened the door, Jacob figured he'd been blessed. But then he saw the depressed look Daniel was wearing and realized his daughter wasn't the only one dealing with a crisis. He sighed inwardly and wondered if he'd really ever been that young. "Hey, Daniel," he greeted the dark blond-haired young man. "Come on in."

"I didn't wake you up, did I?" Daniel asked, as he stepped in looking even guiltier than he had before.

"No, no, Daniel, of course not. I was just upstairs talking to Sam." His suspicions were proven correct about the source of the boy's distress when he witnessed the flinch those words produced. "I still need to make breakfast, so why don't you go on up and talk with her? I have a feeling you both could use it." Daniel silently nodded and headed for the stairs once he'd slipped off his backpack, jacket, and shoes. "Oh, and Daniel," Jacob called before his guest had disappeared from sight. "Take as much time as you need. There's a recipe for Belgian waffles around here somewhere that I've been meaning to try out, and it'll probably take a while to dig out and put together. I'll call you when they're ready." Daniel nodded again and continued on his way.

The young man's steps slowed as they reached his intended destination. Sam was behind that door. The same girl he'd taken advantage of the night before - and this was her _bedroom_. Daniel shook his head fiercely. He wouldn't even think about taking advantage of her again, never. He knocked.

"Come in," Sam called, her voice a bit muffled. When Daniel went in, he could see why. Half of Sam's face was buried in the pillow she was holding loosely to her chest as she curled up on her side on the bed. She hadn't been looking toward the door. "So who was it, Dad..." Her voice trailed off when she saw who her visitor was. "Oh, hi, Daniel," she whispered.

"Hi, Sam," he returned just as softly. "Look, if you don't want me here I'll just go..."

"No!" Sam cried, sitting up and forcing her pillow onto the floor. "Please stay, Daniel," she pleaded, her voice back to a normal level even as her cheeks reddened. "I need to say a few things to you."

Daniel swallowed nervously. "Okay, Sam. I have a few things to say to you, too. But go ahead, you first."

Sam nodded. "I'm sorry I just confirmed all those rumors about me last night, Daniel. Here I went on about all my ex-boyfriends telling people how easily I spread my legs and then I just throw myself at you - and we're not even dating!"

The young man blinked. "Do you think last night made me think you were a slut because you..." here he swallowed again, "had sex with me? Why do you think I would believe that?"

"Come on, Daniel. I never said no. I'm the one who practically laid on top of you before everything happened. How much sluttier can you get?" Her expression was filled with self-loathing. She'd been thinking and rethinking the previous night's... activities and couldn't see any other conclusion to come to.

"You have got to be kidding, Sam," Daniel replied incredulously, not even close to ready to give up his own accountability in the whole thing. "You laid your head on my shoulder. That's when I pulled you in close and practically jumped all over you, taking advantage of your vulnerability and giving in to my hormones. I'd just berated your boyfriends for thinking with... the, um, wrong head... and then I went and did the same thing, never taking into consideration that you were still upset over what had happened with Will. Some friend _I_ am." He crossed his arms over his chest as he scowled and stared at the floor.

Sam shook her head, although Daniel never saw it. "Daniel, you were comforting me, like you've done a bunch of times before. I'm the one who let her hormones get away from her."

There was a long moment of silence as both of them thought about what had been said. Finally Daniel brought his head up and managed to meet Sam's eyes. "We aren't gong to let this wreck our friendship, are we?" he asked softly.

The young woman immediately shook her head. "No way," she said quietly. "You're my best friend, Daniel. I can't let that go. But I promise to never lose control of myself like that again."

Daniel nodded seriously. "I'll make you the same promise about me. I never want to lose you as a friend, Sam. You're _more_ than a friend; you're family." He stepped over to the bed and sat down next the blonde, his shoulder rubbing against hers. "So this is your bedroom, huh?" he said a bit impishly, looking around at the simple and slightly feminine decor as a smile began to form on his features. "Makes me think you're not nearly the tomboy you want everyone to think you are."

She bumped him with her shoulder so he slipped off the edge of the bed. "I can be as girly as the next female," she said haughtily. "I just don't advertise the fact."

"Not often at any rate," Daniel agreed, getting back to his feet. "You were an exception at homecoming, though, that's for sure." He offered her a hand. "Come on, get out of bed. Your dad's making Belgian waffles."

"Oh, I love his Belgian waffles!" Sam enthused, taking the offered assistance. "Especially when he adds fresh fruit to the batter. You have to try them." She dashed to her closet and pulled on her cream-colored robe, then led her smiling friend downstairs. Their laughter could be heard ringing through the house off and on for the rest of the day.

* * *

Early June came to El Segundo seemingly before anyone had blinked, bringing with it graduation day for the Class of 1981. As expected, Sam and Daniel were co-valedictorians, and as such had both prepared speeches. Sam was proud to say she'd finished hers with only minimal help from Daniel, and he'd given it a rave review when she'd read it to him two hours before the rehearsal. They both had seats on the stage with the teachers and administration gathered there, with open seats for them with their classmates for after they'd received their diplomas. 

The two almost-graduates looked over the people in the bleachers hoping to find familiar faces in the crowd. "I found Dad," Sam whispered as the principal droned on about what the future held for the students seated before him. It was pretty much the same speech he'd given the year before.

Daniel nodded. "I saw him, too. Is Mark here?"

"I haven't seen him, but that doesn't mean he's not."

"He'll be here, Sam. He knows how much this means to you." Daniel reached over and squeezed her hand. She gave him an appreciative smile in return as he drew his hand back.

It wasn't too much longer before Sam was called to the podium. She gave her speech, first dedicating it to the memory of her late mother. Then it was Daniel's turn. He, too, dedicated it to the parents he had lost. It would later be said that the two orations were the highlight of the whole ceremony. Diplomas were then handed out, tassels switched, and caps tossed into the air. The presentation of the El Segundo High School Class of 1981 was complete.

Jacob met them quickly. "Congratulations, you two," the general said proudly. "Let me see those diplomas." He took one in each hand, his grin widening as he read them. "Graduating with full honors," he said after a moment. "That's something to be proud of." He handed Daniel's parchment scroll back to him and used the action to pull him into a fierce hug, then did the same with his daughter once he'd let the young man go.

Sam laughed as she managed to finally escape the embrace. "Watch it, Dad. You're going to wrinkle the gown, and we still have to return them."

"Hopefully in one piece," Daniel added. "Without the addition of crushed student."

"Graduate," Jacob corrected him. "Look, you guys see if you can keep the gowns a little while longer and I'll see if I can find a closer place to park now that some of these people are leaving. I forgot my camera in the glove compartment."

"Okay," Sam and Daniel said in unison, then watched him walk out of sight.

The sound of someone clearing his throat behind them had both teenagers spinning around to come face to face with a tall, grinning, blond man. "Hey, Sam," he said softly.

"Mark!" Sam cried, launching herself into his arms.

The pair of siblings laughed as they embraced and Daniel looked on with a smile. "I wasn't sure if you were going to be able to make it," Sam said once she and her brother had separated.

Mark chuckled. "Hey, there wasn't any way I was missing this. I'd say I expect the same from you next year, but who knows when your school year's going to end at whichever college you're going to? Besides, you'll be coming down for the wedding a month later, and that's more important."

Sam began to chew on her lower lip at the mention of the college she'd chosen. "Um, Mark, about college..."

"What about it? You know, I could never figure out why you wanted to talk to me in person about that. What's the big deal?"

"Well..." Sam's voice trailed off, and she started to look distinctly uncomfortable.

Daniel touched her shoulder briefly. "I'll wander around a bit, maybe see about keeping our gowns for a little bit longer for pictures. I'll be back."

Sam nodded, giving him a look that showed how nervous she was feeling. "Okay, Daniel, but don't be too long."

"I won't."

"So what is it?" Mark asked once Daniel had gone.

"I don't know how to say this," Sam said helplessly, unable to meet her brother's gaze.

"How about with words?" The older Carter was rapidly losing his patience.

Sam flinched. It wouldn't help matters any if he lost his temper before hearing the news. "I'm going to the Air Force Academy. I'm leaving in three weeks."

Mark blinked at the softly spoken admission. "I'm not sure I heard you right. _Where_ did you say you were going?"

The blonde young woman sighed. "The Air Force Academy."

"Why in the hell would you want to go there?"

The cold tone was even worse than the shouting she'd expected. "I want to be an astronaut. I've always wanted to be an astronaut. You know that, Mark."

"And you couldn't do it any other way?" Now the volume was rising.

"No, actually, I couldn't. Not if I actually wanted to _be_ an astronaut." Sam paused, finally looking the elder of the two in the eye determinedly. "And you _know_ that."

Mark stared at her helplessly for a long moment. "You couldn't find another way?"

Sam rolled her eyes. "No, Mark. And to be honest with you, I wouldn't want to. I get a lot of benefits this way. A challenging career, a chance to fly jets as well as shuttles and maybe even other experimental spacecraft, great benefits, not too horrible a salary, opportunities for travel..."

"Absolutely no chance for a family life..." Mark drawled sarcastically, scowling.

"That's not true, and you know it. We had a great family life," Sam protested.

"Yeah, right up until the day Dad's career killed Mom," Mark shot back harshly.

Sam ground her teeth. She could understand Daniel's frustration with her all those years ago. "An accident killed Mom. That's all. For all we know, had Dad picked her up they both might have gotten into an accident together and they both would have died."

Mark's expression turned cold. "And this would have been a loss how?"

Sam gasped in utter shock. "How dare you?" she whispered. "Dad loved Mom with all his heart. It tore him apart when she died. And it tore him up even more when we blamed him for it. We put him through hell when we added our grief and anger to his own at himself. And he still went out of his way to try to be there for us, to be home every night to make us dinner, to come to as many school events as he could. He opened himself up at every opportunity and was there for us. Considering the ungrateful little snots we were - and you still _are_ apparently - it was more than we deserved. I'm glad my eyes were opened. I'd hate to see what kind of man Dad would have turned out to be if both of his children had turned their backs on him." The young woman considered the white-faced young man in front of her. "That's the other major reason I chose the Academy. To honor my father. I don't want you to hate me like you hate Dad, but if you don't like my decision, to hell with you!" Her pale brows furrowed and her lips were tightly pursed as she crossed her arms over her chest and stared at her brother defiantly.

He glared back for a long time. Finally, seeing that Sam wasn't going to back down, his shoulders drooped slightly and he sighed. "I don't want to lose you, Sam. You're the last family I consider myself to have. And you're right in one regard: I have known all along that the Air Force was the only way you were going to realize your dreams. I'll support you and your choice, but do _not_ ask me to forgive my father. I can't do that."

"You're the only one who can decide when you're ready to forgive him," Sam said softly as her stance relaxed somewhat. "I only hope you'll at least think about what I've said."

"I'll think about it, but I can't promise any more than that."

"That's all I can ask."

* * *

Daniel began to head for the main school building once he'd left Sam and her brother, intending on asking about the graduation gowns, but a voice calling his name stopped him in his tracks about twenty feet short of his goal. He turned around, confused. The voice was familiar, but he knew it wasn't any of his classmates, and there was no way Jacob would be back yet. 

Just then, a familiar tall, lean form in a dress blue Air Force uniform forced his way through the boisterous crowd. "Daniel! Do you know how hard it's been to get your attention in this mess?"

"Jack?" Daniel replied incredulously as his friend grinned. "What are you doing here?"

"For crying out loud, Daniel, do you really think I'd miss your graduation? Especially after you went through so much trouble to come to mine? Give me some credit." Jack never stopped grinning.

"But... how?"

The grin turned smug. "Got a twenty-four hour pass. I've got to be back in a few hours."

Daniel finally got over the shock and returned the smile. "Thanks for coming, Jack."

"Don't mention it. Oh, and keep your eyes open for a package in the next few days. Sara and I sent your presents since we weren't sure I could pull this pass off."

"You didn't have to do that."

"True. But we wanted to. Nice speech, by the way."

Daniel blushed slightly. "Thanks," he murmured. "So have you had a chance to actually meet Sam in person yet?"

Jack shook his head. "I haven't even gotten a close look at her. Because of when I got here I got stuck in the crappy seats way up in the far corner. The only reason I knew it was you giving your speech is because they announced your name. Where is she?"

The teenager glanced back toward where he'd come from and cringed when he saw the heated argument the Carter siblings seemed to be in the middle of. "She's back that way with her brother. I'd take you over there, but they look... busy."

The Air Force officer looked off in the same direction as his friend. "Sam's back is to us?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Ah. Then I don't think we should interrupt. That looks serious."

"That's what I was thinking. Can you wait for Sam to finish? Or maybe for her dad to get back?" Daniel looked at Jack hopefully.

Jack cringed a bit. "Sorry, Daniel. I can probably only stay another five, ten minutes. I need to get back to the airport for my return flight. I can't be sure of the traffic, and I'd rather be early than late."

Daniel sighed. "I understand. I'm just glad you could be here at all."

"So what made you decide to bring up your parents?" Jack asked after a brief silence.

"Oh, um, well, to be honest, it was a last minute decision." The younger of the two stared at his shoes peeking out from under his gown.

"How so?"

"Sam dedicated her speech to her mother so I decided to dedicate mine, too. I can only hope they'd be proud."

Jack reached out and lifted Daniel's chin so their eyes met. "Daniel, you have nothing to worry about there. They'd be more than proud. I know I am." He gave his friend a smile to let him know he meant it, then once he'd gotten a smile in response he nodded and checked his watch. "Crap. I need to get going. I wish I could stay longer."

Daniel's smile grew a little wider. "So do I. But that fact that you came at all is what's important."

Jack nodded again and suddenly remembered something. "I almost forgot," he said as he dug around in his pocket and eventually pulled out a slip of paper. "I'm getting transferred to Florida. I decided to go for the Special Ops training, and that's where the school is."

Daniel took the offered scrap and glanced at it briefly before reaching into his robe to put it the back pocket of the dress slacks he was wearing. "When will you be there?"

"Two weeks from now. Gives me a week to settle in before classes start. And don't be too worried if I don't write quite as often. This is pretty intense training, and there are times when I'll be out for weeks at a time. I'll try to let you know when that happens, but I don't think I'll be able to all the time."

"That's okay. I've been warned. But what about Sara and the wedding?"

"This pretty much put an end to our arguments. Looks like we're doing it in Florida. We still don't know when." Jack shrugged.

Daniel nodded. "Just don't do it too suddenly. I need time to make arrangements with school and my social worker."

Jack grinned. "I know, I know. And so does Sara. We'll keep that in mind. And now I really do need to get going. Talk to you again soon." He pulled Daniel into a fierce hug. "Congratulations, Batman," he murmured in his younger friend's ear before pulling back and ruffling the long, dark blond locks.

"Batman?" Daniel asked, scowling as he tried to straighten his hair.

"Sure. You're at least as smart as Bruce Wayne," Jack explained with a shrug. "Now I'm out of here. Congrats, and tell Sam the same." He clapped Daniel on the shoulder and headed out.

"Bye, Jack!" Daniel called after him. Jack acknowledged the farewell with one last wave, then disappeared into the still-lingering crowd.

Daniel sighed as his gaze lingered after his oldest friend for a long moment, then he gathered himself together and headed back to where he'd left Sam. There were other graduates still milling around in their gowns, so he figured it would be all right to wait a while longer before turning them in. "Hey, Sam," he said as he stepped up to his silent blonde friend. He glanced back and forth between her and her brother, who had turned his face away at Daniel's approach. "Is... everything okay?" he asked hesitantly.

Sam gave him a small smile. "Everything's fine. Mark and I just had a few issues to work out, that's all. I think we both understand where the other one stands."

Mark turned back, a weak grin attempting to lighten his features. "Sam's right. Nothing to worry about. Congratulations, Daniel. So where are you going to school, anyway? Sam didn't mention it."

"UCLA," Daniel answered. "I've got a four-year scholarship there. My other choice was the University of Chicago, and they said that my full scholarship there would still be available to me through the fall semester of 1982. We'll see what happens."

"Wow, full scholarships." Mark's appreciation was much more sincere than his expression of interest. "Wish I'd been able to get one of those. There are times I think I'll be paying off my student loans for the rest of my life. And that's not even counting Julie's." He briefly met Sam's eyes and dropped his gaze once more. "Look, I should get going. I still have to check out of my hotel and get to the airport. Congratulations, Sam." He took a couple steps away before Sam hurried forward and hugged him. Mark returned the embrace half-heartedly then silently went on his way.

"I take it you two argued," Daniel said quietly once Mark had gone.

Sam sighed. "You could say that." She looked at her best friend. "How did you keep from smacking me upside my head?" she asked, a thread of frustration underlying her tone.

Daniel blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"Back in Wheatland, when I didn't want to listen to you defend Dad. How did you keep yourself from knocking some sense in to me?"

"I, uh, um, never really had the urge, Sam," Daniel said, confused.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," Sam muttered.

Daniel raised his eyebrows. "I guess that tells me what your argument was about," he said, finally catching on to what Sam was really referring to.

Sam scoffed. "Yeah, guess so."

"No success?"

"What do you think?"

"Ah." Daniel nodded his understanding as Jacob finally made his way back over to them.

His appearance made Sam put on a happy mask, and Jacob couldn't help but return the smile. "Sorry it took me so long," he apologized. "Traffic's a bear. Let's get some pictures and get out of here."

The two teenagers agreed and stood together, arms around each other and displaying their diplomas. "Oh, by the way," Daniel said as Jacob made a few lens adjustments, "Jack was here."

"You're kidding, really?" Now Sam's smile was quite genuine. "Where did he go?"

"Had to go back. He only had a twenty-four hour pass. He said to tell you congratulations, though."

"That's great, Daniel. Although I hope I'll actually get to meet him in the flesh one of these days!" They laughed.

"You know, I wouldn't mind meeting him either," Jacob chimed in, bringing the camera up to his eye. "He seems to have made quite an impression on both of you. Now, ready and... say Jack!" The wide smiles, mid-laugh picture would be the first of many just like it taken over the course of the evening, documenting the great time the three of them had.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

* * *

"Dear Jack,

"I can't believe it. I was never expecting this, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. On the one hand I feel free... and on the other, tossed aside. I wish I knew which was right.

"I'm sorry, Jack. I just realized I haven't explained myself. My birthday was yesterday, a Wednesday. Thank you for the book, by the way. My social worker came over in the morning - which I was not expecting - and told me to dress nicely. When I asked her what this was all about, she merely smiled mysteriously and said that it was a surprise, her birthday present to me if you will. I just shrugged and went upstairs to change.

"She drove me to the county courthouse, and we ended up before one of the family court judges before too long. Miss Waters answered some questions, I answered some questions, no objections were raised... I don't completely recall how everything went, but at the end of it all I was declared emancipated from the state. Legally, I guess I'm considered an adult, in charge of my own destiny. When we walked out of the courtroom, Miss Waters turned to me and told me happy birthday with a very large smile on her face. All I could say in response was a quiet thank you.

"I really don't know how to feel about this. It's not something I was looking for. At the same time, I can't say I'm bothered by the prospect. Except for what I have with you and Sam, I've pretty much been on my own since the accident - this just formalizes it. Is this normal? I'd like to think it is, considering I wasn't expecting it, but I'm not in the right frame of mind to figure it out just yet.

"A thought just occurred to me. I guess this means the only thing I have to worry about is my school schedule when it comes to your wedding. I don't have to ask anyone's permission. I guess that's a plus, huh?

"I think I'm going to wrap this up, Jack. I have some things I need to work out. Let me know how your new training is going.

"Your friend,

"Daniel"

* * *

"Dear Daniel,

"I'm glad you were able to pick up that job at the library. Although I'm willing to bet it's just an excuse so you can read more books. You'll have to let me know when you find the interesting stuff. And don't mind the junior librarian's attitude - she's just jealous because you're younger, healthier, and smarter than she is.

"I'm so glad this means you'll be able to go with me to Florida next June for Mark's wedding. Considering the discussion we had at graduation, I don't think I want to be stuck down there without anyone to back me up, although I wouldn't miss this for the world. I should just be finished with my three-week course, so I'll be fine on that front.

"Your schedule is just packed after school gets out, isn't it? First Jack and Sara's wedding a week after finals, then those three-week summer courses, then going back to Florida with me to Mark's wedding, and then another round of summer classes. When are you going to find time to breathe? Just kidding; I wouldn't be any different if I weren't at the Academy.

"Thinking of the Academy, I have to say that things aren't quite like what I thought they'd be. I'm not as surprised as I would have been if Dad hadn't sat me down to warn me, but it's still thrown me a little. I don't care what anyone says, Daniel, or what year it's supposed to be, but there's still some discrimination going on. Not enough for me to make a fuss over, but enough to know it's going to be an obstacle for a long time to come. I just hope I end up in a command that appreciates me for my talents and doesn't give a rip about my gender.

"What I wish Dad would have warned me about was the other kind of grief I've been getting. A few of my instructors seem to think I have every intention of trying to coast into the Air Force on my father's coattails. I mean, just because my daddy's a general, a bunch of people think that I want to lord it over them. Would you believe I'm not even the one who first mentioned Dad's rank? It was one of my instructors, who read my name and thought I looked familiar. Ever since, I've gotten a lot of attitude. It's taken everything I've got to not return it full measure. It's not that I've never gotten this before, but I didn't think it would be so prevalent here at school, not at this stage of the game.

"I decided to join the swim team, and am considering the fencing team once I've taken the course. When I was looking through the list of intercollegiate and intramural activities I had to choose from, I noticed hockey and couldn't help but laugh. Jack and I had some interesting discussions about the subject while you were in the hospital. Oooo, I suppose I should call him Lieutenant O'Neill. Officially, he is my superior officer. Of course, so is my dad. But calling him General Carter is just weird.

"I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving break and coming back to Los Angeles. Most of all, I'm looking forward to seeing you and Dad again. I really miss you. You wouldn't believe how much. So don't be surprised if you get more letters than you expected. And I want you to write as many as you want, no matter how many that is.

"For now, I should probably get going. Lights out is coming up quick. I'll write again soon.

"Friends forever,

"Sam"

* * *

Jack sighed as he slid into the shadowed corner booth in his usual hang out when he wanted to unwind with some of the guys. It had been an intense two weeks, and alcohol was definitely in order. "We made it back again, boys," he said to his three companions once he'd taken a long drink from the beer he'd brought back from the bar.

"No thanks to Klutz-boy here," the rugged-looking man across from him said with an elbow to the ribs to the other man to his left.

"Hey! That rabbit came out of nowhere!" the newly-dubbed "Klutz-boy" protested. "And if I remember correctly, that little incident let us take out a couple members of the other team."

"Christ, Kowalski, just because we were lucky doesn't justify you overreacting," Jack said with a roll of his eyes.

Kowalski scowled. "And I suppose you would have done better?"

Jack smirked. "I _did_. Where do you think that rabbit came from?"

They all laughed at that, even the target. "I think Charlie owes us a round for that near-miss," the man to Jack's right said with a grin.

"Hey, yeah, Tommy," Charlie's bench partner drew out, grinning wickedly. "A round of shots, on you." His left elbow followed his gaze to his left. "Top rail."

"Fine, Frank, as long as that means you'll stop planting your elbow between my ribs!"

A half hour later Tommy and Charlie were dancing with women they'd managed to talk in to it, leaving Frank and Jack alone at the table. "That didn't take them long," Jack commented, smirking at the sight of two of his teammates swaying back and forth almost to the beat of the slow song coming from the jukebox.

Frank snorted. "They're trying to get lucky, and they figure if they keep hanging out with the two unavailable guys it'll never happen."

"How's Corrinna, by the way?"

"Happy we got married before I came to Florida. She says she doesn't even want to imagine the hassles you and Sara have been going through." Frank grinned. "So how bad has it been?"

Jack shrugged. "Not as bad as I expected. The Saturday after this is all over I'll be in my dress blues in front of a preacher. Then I get two weeks of leave before I join whatever unit I'll be assigned to. Everything cleared while we were out in the middle of nowhere these last two weeks."

"I suppose that promotion you got when you left Colorado helped," Frank said, a twinkle in his eyes.

Jack shot him an irritable glare. "Oh, yeah. The pay hike from second to first lieutenant was enormous. I'm independently wealthy."

Frank laughed at the sarcasm dripping from his friend's tone. "Aren't we all? You're just lucky those two weeks you used to hang out in California at the drop of a hat didn't hurt you promotion-wise."

"I wouldn't have given a damn if it did. It was too important." Jack buried his gaze in his beer as he took a long drink.

"You never did tell me why you went, just that you did. What was the big deal?"

Jack took a long pause as he considered his answer. "A friend needed me."

Frank narrowed his eyes. "And it was worth risking your career advancement?"

Jack nodded. "More than worth it."

"So who is this friend of yours? I don't think you've mentioned him, and I know I haven't met him."

Jack stared his friend in the eye, a rare completely serious look on his face. "You have to promise not to bug me about it."

Frank was confused. "Sure," he agreed with a nod, a little weirded out by the whole thing. "If it's that important to you, I won't give you grief."

"His name's Daniel. He was in a coma, and I was contacted in hopes that hearing a friendly voice would help him come out of it. I talked to my CO and was on a plane the next morning."

The other man narrowed his eyes slightly, still confused. "So why did _you_ have to go? What about his family?"

"Not an option, and it was his foster father who put him there." The whole incident still pissed him off when he thought about it.

"No girlfriend, wife?"

Jack sighed. "Look, Frank, he was fourteen years old. He's pretty much been a stranger in a strange land since I met him, and his social worker thought since we were close I might be able to reach him. Daniel means a hell of a whole lot to me, and I would appreciate it if you didn't go around telling people about him. He's eight years younger than I am, and I don't need the grief. And neither will Daniel when he comes down here for the wedding next May. Can I count on you to keep your trap shut?"

Frank nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Yeah, Jack. Your secret's mine. Kid's pretty special, I take it."

That made Jack smile. "Certified genius. He's sixteen and in his freshman year at UCLA on a full ride scholarship. He's studying archaeology."

"Wow," Frank murmured, impressed. "Can't wait to meet him."

"I can't wait to introduce him." Jack looked at his watch then threw back the last swallow of beer in his pilsner glass. "I need to get going. Obviously Charlie and Tommy won't be providing any more entertainment for the evening." He gestured toward the door where their two companions were leaving with their new lady friends. He chuckled and shook his head.

Frank's eyebrows lifted at the sight. "I'm feeling a little ditched, but Corrinna will appreciate the early night. I take it Sara's anxious to see you?"

Jack smiled. "Actually Sara's visiting family in Colorado until Saturday. I just need to get home and get a letter ready. I haven't been able to contact Daniel for three weeks, and I don't want him to worry. That, and I'm sure I've got a few letters of his to catch up on."

"Damn, Jack, that kid _is_ important to you." He stood and gave his friend a shooing motion. "Go on, get out of here. You've got a friend waiting. See you on base tomorrow?"

"You bet, Frank. And thanks." Jack gave the other man's shoulder a hearty slap and left. Frank was right; he did have a friend waiting - and _he_ couldn't wait to get to it.

* * *

Sam walked through the terminal at LAX, carry-on slung over her shoulder, her eyes searching for the familiar form of her father waiting for her in the crowd. Her flight from Denver had been delayed for three hours thanks to the snowstorm going on there. All she could think of now that she was in Los Angeles was just how much she wanted to see a friendly, familiar face, to be welcomed with warm, open arms and told how much she was wanted. Her father would be more than good for that.

She made it all the way to the seats near where people were standing in line to pick up their tickets without finding the man she was looking for. Sam sighed and flopped into an open seat. If she stayed in one place, her dad was more likely to find her quickly. He'd warned her he had a meeting that he couldn't be sure would be over in time, but she'd been hoping everything would work out in their favor. Obviously, things hadn't turned out that way.

"Sam."

The whispered sound of her name behind her had the young woman leaping to her feet and spinning around before she could truly say she'd registered the source. Her eyes widened and a huge smile lit up her features as she took in the almost-shaggy dark blond hair, tucked-in, buttoned-up flannel shirt, well-worn jeans, and most importantly the brilliant blue eyes sparkling behind the wire-framed glasses. "Daniel!" she cried, dashing around the short row of seats and practically throwing herself at her friend.

Daniel's smile grew as he returned the fierce embrace. "It is so good to see you, Sam. I missed you at Thanksgiving." He laid his cheek against the soft sunlight-colored hair of his friend.

"I had to go see my uncle Irving. He's gotten so old, and I'm not sure how much longer he'll be with us." Sam buried her face in Daniel's shoulder at the reminder of the urgent phone call from her father. Jacob had known how much she'd always cared for her mother's brother-in-law, and had been more than happy to adjust her flight plan to take her to Boise where the older man was recovering from an unexpected heart attack. He'd met her there, and they'd spent the holiday with the last connection either of them had to the late Mrs. Elizabeth Carter.

"You don't have to apologize. Your dad told me. And he was supposed to tell you I understood and would be there for you if you needed me."

"He did. I just didn't want to remind myself that..." Sam's voice faded away and she squeezed Daniel a little tighter.

"I know," he whispered gently, rubbing her back softly. "And I don't blame you for not mentioning it in your letters. Just... I want you to know you can talk or write me about it any time you want."

Sam nodded against his chest. A part of her noted that he really needed to eat more. "I've always known that, Daniel. Thank you." She took a deep breath and released it, using the action to pull herself together. "So where's Dad?" she asked as she pulled away.

Daniel smiled shyly. "Actually, he asked me to come pick you up. His meeting started late, and he's not sure when it's going to end, so he lent me his car and told me to come get you."

She laughed. "So were you nervous? This is the first time you've ever done any serious driving, isn't it?"

The young man nodded, blushing. "I haven't really needed to before. I'm just glad I'm used to your dad's car."

"Considering that's the car you used to learn to drive in the first place, I'm not surprised. Where are you parked?"

Daniel interrupted her attempt to pick up her duffle bag by doing it himself. "Not too far," he answered, beginning to lead the blonde cadet away as he adjusted the shoulder strap. "I managed to find a place in the closest garage."

Sam merely smiled and followed. When they reached the doors that would take them where they needed to go, she paused for a moment and turned to face the young man at her side. "You know something, Daniel? I'd say this was the best Christmas present I could have asked for." She linked her arm through his.

He gazed down on her fondly. "I couldn't have said it better myself, Sam." And the two friends were off.

* * *

A week later, after Sam, Daniel, and Jacob had shared a delicious Christmas dinner, the elder Carter sighed as they lingered over their desserts. "I have some news for you," Jacob said, looking back and forth between the two teenagers.

"What is it, Dad?" Sam asked as Daniel looked on, curious.

"I'm being transferred to Langley, out in Virginia."

There was a brief moment of silence as that piece of information sank in. "When?" his daughter asked.

Jacob sighed again. "About a month's time. Basically just enough for me to settle things here and set things up there."

"Oh," Sam said softly, her eyes dropping to her plate.

Daniel looked from father to daughter and back again. He knew what was bothering both of them, and he knew he needed to say something to relieve their guilt. "I've heard things are nice out in Virginia." Okay, it was a bit lame. But he was flying by the seat of his pants on this one.

"Yeah," Sam agreed half-heartedly, understanding Daniel's motivation. "Lots of beaches, and a mild winter. Not like we had in Dover."

"Or Ohio, I'm sure," Daniel added.

"Right, or Ohio."

"You kids are something else," Jacob said with a chuckle. "I'm just sorry I can't take you with me, Daniel."

Daniel smiled. "That _would_ be kind of difficult, what with me having spring semester to finish at UCLA. It would be an expensive commute."

Sam rolled her eyes as she nudged her friend with her elbow. "Oh, please," she scoffed. "I just wish I could be in two places at once for my vacations. Having you go to college near where Dad was stationed worked out perfectly for me."

"I liked it too," Daniel said softly.

Sam sobered quickly and laid a gentle hand on his arm. "I don't like the idea of leaving you here all alone, Daniel." Her voice was subdued and filled with a growing sorrow. Things were beginning to feel like they had when she'd had to leave Wheatland so long ago. Apparently California wasn't the place she and Daniel were meant to stick together.

Daniel shrugged. "It was bound to happen sometime, Sam. You and your dad are both in the military, and that means you have to go where they send you. It wasn't likely you'd be able to come out here all that often once you'd graduated from the academy, whether your dad was here or not. And I've got a lot of school ahead of me yet, not to mention what happens afterward. As long as we do what we can to keep in touch, it won't matter where we are. We'll always be together where it counts, in our hearts." He gave her a small, somewhat shy smile.

She returned it, neither one of them noticing Jacob leaning back in his chair and grinning a mile wide at the sentiment. "You're right, Daniel. And we'll have phone calls and visits to look forward to as we get older and earn decent-sized paychecks and places of our own."

Jacob couldn't help but laugh. "Decent paychecks? In the military? I thought you paid closer attention than that, Sammy."

"It'll all work out fine," Sam continued, ignoring her father. "Now, I believe we have one last Christmas tradition to finish up. Right, Dad?"

"You bet, Sam," he said, rising to his feet, quickly followed by the other two. "We've got Christmas dust to spread on the fire to make sure the wishes we put in our Christmas wish stockings come true." He led the way out of the dining room with his head held high, Sam giggling and Daniel wearing an indulgent smile as they fell into step behind him.

* * *

The next five months flew by, Daniel's mailbox filled with more letters than normal as Sam seemed determined to make up for the fact that she was spending her spring break with her father in Virginia. Jack had also increased his correspondence as his wedding date grew nearer. But he wasn't nervous, no, of course not.

Jack paced anxiously in the airport as he waited for Daniel's plane to land. There were still a couple of days before the wedding, and this reunion was definitely the highlight of them. But he wasn't nervous, no sir-ee.

Wait! Was that Daniel? No, no, couldn't be. Jack hadn't heard his flight announced yet. Must be a little eager to see his friend, especially considering it had been over two years.

But he wasn't nervous.

Jack released an explosive breath and flopped down onto the nearest seat, nearly landing on a little old lady as he did so. Oh, who was he kidding? He was a complete wreck. He only hoped his younger friend could help him get his act together before he completely embarrassed himself in front of both Sara's family and his own.

The soon-to-be bridegroom buried his head in his hands and gave in to the urge to wallow in self-pity, however temporarily. He'd just gone through a year of intensive training the like of which he'd never even imagined before and a _wedding_ was getting to him? It was times like this that he felt there was something seriously defective about him. The only thing that made this state he was in remotely bearable was that Sara wasn't much better, although her calm act was a bit more convincing.

Jack stayed that way for a long time, lost in his thoughts and various horrible scenarios about how his wedding day could go. When he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, it startled him so much he nearly jumped a foot into the air. "What the hell?" he practically shouted, only just keeping himself from using the self-defense moves he'd learned through his training.

He spun to face the person next to him and felt every ounce of his tension fade away. "Daniel!" he cried, throwing his arms around his younger friend.

"It's good to see you, too, Jack," Daniel replied, his voice a bit muffled by Jack's shoulder.

"You're a life saver, I want you to know this," Jack said, grinning, as he pushed back to arm's length.

"Um, okay," the younger man said, confused.

"No, I mean it. Now that you're here, I think it just might be possible to survive this upcoming weekend of insanity. All this wedding stuff has driven me to the edge."

Daniel's eyebrows rose. "Short trip," he muttered. He relented at Jack's glare. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. But you can't tell me that your friends here haven't been helping you out."

Jack scoffed. "Not by half. Tommy and Charlie are too busy trying to convince me I'm too young to condemn myself like this, that I need to sow some more wild oats - or at the very least go on one last wild, orgasmic binge. Frank thinks this is hilarious, and has thoroughly enjoyed sitting back and watching the show. His wife Corrinna has been better about it, but she's been busy helping Sara. You're the only one I knew I could count on to keep a cool head and have a sympathetic ear." He smiled at the pleased grin his declaration produced on his friend. "Besides, Sara's family is showing up tomorrow for the rehearsal. I need to have someone one hundred percent in my corner, someone who won't think it's funny to tell my soon-to-be in-laws about the time I dressed up in women's clothing to avoid getting caught off base after curfew and ended up stumbling into the compound half-naked after accidentally cutting through a local dog breeder's rottweiler pen. Those things are vicious."

Daniel couldn't help it; he laughed. He laughed at the story; he laughed at the image of Jack dressed up in a woman's ragged and torn dress trying to explain why he was wearing it and wasn't in bed; he laughed at the aggrieved tone his friend had used; he even laughed at the glare Jack was now shooting him for his loss of composure. "Come on, Jack," he managed to gasp out. "You have to admit this is funny!"

Jack glared at him for a moment longer. Then the corners of his mouth began to twitch upward. When Daniel collapsed into the seat Jack had previously been sitting in, it was the last straw. The brown-haired man gave in to the urge and joined his friend in raucous laughter, both of them ignoring the looks they received from the crowd surrounding them in the airport. He had to admit, this was a welcome release. He'd been right about Daniel - he was just what Jack needed.

Finally, the two of them calmed down. "Come on," Jack said, wiping the tears off his face. "We have to get going."

"Where?" Daniel asked, picking up his carry-on bag and reaching for his suitcase.

Jack slapped his hand away and took the suitcase himself. "First, we'll get you settled in at my place. Then, we're off to the place we ordered your tuxedo from so you can have a final fitting. My family should be getting here later tonight, but they're all of Frank's opinion - let's just sit back and laugh while Jack goes slowly insane. Or not so slowly," he grumbled. "Anyway, we'll come back later and meet them here. Beth and my mother will be joining the ladies at the hotel, while Dad and the guys will be with us at the house. Sara's taking the superstitious custom of not letting the groom see the bride before the wedding just a little too seriously. She's decided I can only see her at the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner before the wedding. She moved into the hotel this morning while I was at the base finishing up the last of my paperwork now that I'm done with my Special Ops training."

Daniel smiled. "Wow, Jack. Sounds like you've had your hands full."

Jack reached over and gave him a quick one-armed squeeze as they continued walking. "Yes! _That_ was why I wanted you here! That's exactly what I've been looking for. I really missed you, Daniel. You wouldn't believe how much."

"Oh, I might have an idea," Daniel said softly as Jack continued to ramble on about what had been happening in Florida.

Four hours, lunch, and one tuxedo fitting later, Daniel and Jack were sitting in the older man's living room watching a baseball game on television. "So how's life in California?" Jack asked during a commercial break after he'd retrieved a soda for Daniel and a beer for himself. "Anybody at UCLA able to keep up with the Great Brain?"

"I've learned a lot this year," Daniel said. "I took a full course load, and I'm glad I did."

"You would," Jack murmured with a smile as he took a long pull from his bottle. "So you're going back for a couple three-week courses?"

"One three-week course, two classes," the younger man corrected.

Jack nodded. "And then you're turning around and flying back down here for Sam's brother's wedding. Busy summer."

Daniel took a large swallow of his drink before answering. "Yeah, I guess so."

Brown eyes narrowed as Jack realized that Daniel wasn't saying something, but a knock at the front door stopped him from pursuing the matter. Just before Jack could answer it, the door opened and Frank Cromwell stepped inside. "So how is our Nervous Nelly this glorious evening?" the stocky man said expansively, his grin a mile wide.

"You're a prick, Frank," Jack said darkly, scowling.

"True," Frank agreed lightly.

"I don't need this kind of crap right now," Jack growled, his scowl deepening.

"True again."

"I should deck you."

"Probably. But yet, you haven't."

Jack released an explosive breath. "Remind me again why I consider you my friend?"

Frank clapped a hand on the slightly taller man's shoulder. "Oh, admit it, you couldn't live without me. Now how about offering your guest a beer?" He was about to move further into the house when he saw Daniel staring at the standing men. "Hello, who's this?" he asked, gesturing toward the teenager.

Jack shot a look back over his shoulder. "This is Daniel Jackson, my friend from California I told you about. Daniel, this is Frank Cromwell, prick extraordinaire and my best bud from training. I told you about him in my letters."

"Pleased to meet you," Daniel said softly, giving the newcomer a slight nod.

"Take it easy on him," Jack whispered fiercely into Frank's ear.

Frank blinked at the protective tone. He knew the kid was special to his friend from the few conversations they'd had about him, but he never expected Jack to aim that kind of attitude toward him. "Good to meet you, too, Daniel," Frank said, giving Jack a shove toward the kitchen as he moved completely into the living room. "Jack, who should be getting his good buddy a beer about now, has talked quite highly of you. It's nice finally meeting you face to face."

Jack gave Frank one last speculative look. "You'd think Corrinna never let you drink at home, the way you're so demanding the second you walk in my door," the taller man said as he went to get his friend the beer he wanted.

"Corrinna's my wife," Frank explained in deference to the confused look Daniel gave him.

"Oh, I see," Daniel said, his expression clearing. "Jack mentioned you were married, but he never said what your wife's name was. So did you just finish Special Operations training too?"

Frank grinned again. "Yep. Me and Captain O'Neill in there were partnered up pretty much all year."

Daniel's eyes widened as Jack came back into the room. "Jack's a captain now?" he asked, startled.

"You had to go and ruin my surprise, didn't you?" Jack said as he slapped the unopened beer bottle into his fellow officer's hand. "I was going to show him my bars later tonight."

"Like you told me?" Frank shot back.

"Jack?" Daniel asked. "You got promoted?"

Jack smiled at him. "Yeah, a couple days ago. I finished Special Ops training at the top of my class, so they rewarded me with a promotion. I really was going to tell you later."

Daniel nodded, returning the smile. "I believe you."

Frank looked shocked at that. "You do?" he asked.

Jack gave the man an elbow to the ribs. "I've never lied to Daniel, and if I can help it I never will." His tone was completely serious, and Frank merely gave him a short nod of understanding.

"That's really great news, Jack," Daniel said, not missing the significance of the exchange. "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, Daniel."

"So what have you been up to out in California?" Frank asked, sitting in the recliner next to the couch where Daniel had remained seated.

The teenager shrugged. "I just finished my freshman year of college at UCLA," he said dismissively, then gave Jack an apologetic look. "I'll be taking two more classes there when I get back, and then I'll be heading for Chicago after my friend Sam's brother's wedding."

Frank's expression became confused as Jack just blinked at the new information. "What's in Chicago?" Frank asked.

"The University of Chicago. I've transferred there for the second half of their summer session as well as the fall semester. I just finalized all the details before I came here."

"Why are you transferring, Daniel?" Jack asked. "Aren't you happy at UCLA?"

"UCLA is all right," Daniel said quickly. "But the University of Chicago has the better programs for what I'm going to school for, not to mention access to the Oriental Institute."

"What are you going to school for?" Frank queried, a little lost. He realized there was some nonverbal interplay going on between the other two men in the room, but he had no idea what it was about.

A bit startled by the unexpected question, Daniel jerked his head to look at the man who had asked it. "Oh, um, I'm double majoring in linguistics and archaeology with an emphasis in Egyptology."

Frank blinked a few times and finally took the time to give Daniel a thorough once-over. "How old are you again?" he asked a touch incredulously.

"Sixteen," was the prompt response. "But I'll be seventeen in July."

"You have got to be kidding," Frank muttered.

"Nope," Jack said cheerfully, giving Daniel a look that promised him the subject would be visited again later. "This is Daniel 'Super Brain' Jackson, genius of the highest order."

Daniel blushed even as he silently acknowledged his friend's look. "I am not, Jack."

Jack shook his head as he moved to flop down next to the younger man on the sofa. "Don't give me that. I've known you for a long time. I mean, how many languages do you know?"

Daniel's blush brew deeper. "Um, eighteen," he said quietly, dropping his gaze to his lap when he saw Frank's jaw hit the floor.

"Trust me, you're a genius of the highest order." Jack looked at an utterly stunned Frank. "He's modest," he explained unnecessarily.

Frank fought to recover his equilibrium even as he fought the urge to laugh at the frustrated look Daniel wore. "I can see that."

The three of them sat and talked while the television went ignored in the background until Jack was supposed to meet his family at the airport. Greetings were shared all around, and once again Daniel was Jack's only full-time supporter. But they all had fun, and everyone looked forward to what the next two days would bring.

* * *

"I can't believe I'm nervous. I've lived with Sara for a year now, on top of dating her for... more years than I'm willing to admit to. I haven't seen her for one whole day, and _now_ I'm getting nervous?" Jack frowned as he paced back and forth in front of the pews in the Catholic church the wedding was to take place in the next day.

"Just proves you're whipped," Frank said sedately from the front pew he was slouched in.

Jack glared at him. "You're not helping."

Frank gave him a shit-eating grin. "I'm not trying."

Daniel rolled his eyes as Jack's father and brothers snickered, while the priest looked on with a smile. "Jack, you'll be fine," the youngest of the group said calmly. "This is the rehearsal for tomorrow's ceremony. _That's_ what's making you nervous, not seeing Sara. When she gets here, that's the cue for everything to start, that's all."

"Thank you, Daniel," Jack said sincerely. "I needed to hear that."

"You take all the fun out this, kid," Frank said, smiling to take the sting out of the comment. Daniel merely shrugged.

Just then, Sara and her entourage came in. As soon as introductions were made, everything started rolling.

"Before we begin," the priest said, quieting the crowd, "may I ask who here will be participating in the ceremony?"

"Of course," Sara said. "My bridesmaids will be Jack's sister Beth, my older sister Ruth, and my cousin Eileen. My maid of honor is my younger sister Tracy." She shared a smile with said younger sister.

Jack gave his wife-to-be an unseen gentle smile then cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. My groomsmen are my buddy Frank Cromwell, my brother Gabriel, my brother Chris, and my best man is my best friend Daniel Jackson." Daniel looked at him with a start of surprise. He was sure that Frank was going to be Jack's best man. Jack grinned at him. "Surprise," he said softly.

The priest gazed closely at Daniel. "And who will be signing the paperwork?"

Sara and Jack shared a look. "Um, actually that's something we meant to ask you about," Jack said a bit hesitantly. "What constitutes being a legal adult?"

The priest blinked. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm sixteen," Daniel said shyly, saving Jack an awkward explanation. He could see his friend was trying not to embarrass him but still get the answer he needed. "But I've been emancipated by the state of California. So I can legally sign contracts and things of that sort, at least in California. I'm guessing Jack and Sara don't know how it works here."

"What about you?" Sara's mother Alice asked.

Daniel shrugged self-consciously. "I never thought about it. I didn't think it would ever come up."

The priest considered it. "I'm not sure to be honest with you. It may be best if we have someone who's over eighteen do the signing to be sure."

Jack looked at Daniel a touch stricken. "It's okay, Jack," Daniel said softly. "It doesn't matter who signs the papers."

Jack nodded. "As long as you remember you _are_ my best man."

"I don't think I'll ever forget."

* * *

The wedding ceremony went by in a blur for everyone involved. Once it was over, congratulations were given, hands were shaken, and pictures were taken. Then it was time for the reception dinner.

Daniel, as best man, gave the traditional pre-meal toast. It was a short piece, thrown together at the last minute when Frank told him about the age-old custom, but it was eloquent and touching as had been intended. Sara's sister Tracy followed it with a humorous anecdote that told the gathered crowd much more than Sara ever wanted them to know about her childhood.

But what really stopped things in their tracks was when Sara's father Mike stood up just as everyone was prepared to start eating and proposed a toast of his own. "Ladies and gentlemen, I have the honor of being the bride's father," he began. "Jack and Sara have been together for almost five years now, a relatively happy five years I'm happy to say. I wish I could also say that I had been a witness to all of those years. But as some of you know quite well, I'm known for being a bit of a hard-ass, especially with my girls." He paused as half the room chuckled, including the man's three daughters at the head table.

"I remember when Sara came to me half way through her senior year at Colorado State. She said she had some news for me, something she wasn't sure I'd like very much. You can imagine the kinds of things I was thinking. Illness, drugs, pregnancy... the list goes on. But then she straightened to her full height, looked me straight in the eye, and said, 'Dad, I'm dating a cadet from the Air Force Academy. In fact, we've been together for over a year now.'

"I was speechless. _This_ was the big news? But she wasn't done. 'I know you never wanted me to get involved with a military man, but you don't know Jack. He's sweet and funny, and treats me better than any of my old boyfriends. Don't condemn him just because he's military, okay?'

"It eventually came out that Sara was afraid that I'd cut her off because of her relationship with Jack O'Neill. Imagine her surprise when I started laughing! She'd hidden her relationship all that time for nothing! My problem had never been with the military; her sister had dated a man who joined the Army while she was a senior in high school and ended up running off with another girl while he was overseas. I only wanted my girls to wait until they were older before making a commitment like that. Apparently Sara had gotten the wrong message.

"I had her bring him home to meet her mother and myself, and I knew that my daughter had made a good choice. She was happy with Jack, and that was all I'd ever wanted. Now, I look at my daughter and her new husband, and the love and happiness that they both share, and I'm content." He raised his glass. "To my beloved daughter Sara and my new son Jack. May your life together be blessed." The now-blushing bride and her groom returned the salute, and the meal began.

Later, once dinner had been finished and the dance begun, Daniel sat off to the side watching the festivities, a small smile on his face. "What are you doing over here?" Jack asked as he joined his friend. "Aren't you enjoying yourself?"

Daniel's smile widened as he turned it toward his companion. "Of course I am, Jack. I just needed to take a little break from the crowd."

Jack nodded. "I know what you mean. I feel the same way. Just be glad you're not the center of attention."

"Trust me, Jack, I am."

"What happened to being my one hundred percent supporter?" Jack asked indignantly in response to the smirk that accompanied Daniel's last comment.

"You didn't honestly expect me to keep it up once you were safely married, did you?" Daniel asked with a little laugh.

Jack scowled. "I should have known."

The teenager couldn't wipe the grin from his features. "Yes, you probably should have."

The Air Force captain couldn't keep up the act and began to chuckle. "I'm really glad you're here, Daniel. You make a nice balance to the raw belittling I get from my Air Force buddies. Much more intellectual."

Daniel shrugged. "You're the one who keeps calling me a genius of the highest order. Would you expect any less?"

"No. In fact, I think I'd be disappointed if you sank to their level." Jack grinned.

"And that's nothing compared to how _I'd_ feel."

Jack laughed and threw his arm around Daniel's shoulders, and the two of them sat back and watched the dance go by until they were pulled back into the thick of things. The rest of the night was a blazing success.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

* * *

Three weeks later, Daniel found himself once again looking for a friend in an airport terminal. He'd arranged to take a flight from Los Angeles to Miami with a layover in Denver so he and Sam could travel at least part of the way together. He was starting to get a little worried when he finally spotted a short mop of blonde hair bobbing toward him in the thick crowd. 

"Daniel!" Sam cried, pausing to wave and catch his attention. He waved back with a smile.

"I was starting to wonder if you were going to make it," Daniel said once Sam had fought her way to his side and collapsed into the vacant seat he had saved for her.

"I was wondering that myself," Sam replied a bit breathlessly. "The person that gave me a ride from the Academy took her sweet time getting here, even though I told her I had a plane to catch. I was about ready to strangle her. How close did I cut it?"

Daniel glanced at his watch. "There's still a half hour."

Sam flinched. "That's cutting it too close. What if there'd been a line at the baggage check?"

"Don't worry about it, Sam. You're here; that's what counts."

They caught up with each other until their flight was called, then found their seats. Thankfully, the gentleman that had originally been sitting next to Daniel was nice enough to exchange seats with Sam ten rows back, although the two friends were sure that the drop-dead gorgeous woman sitting back there didn't hurt. "I think I'm nervous," Sam said once they'd settled in.

Daniel turned away from the view out the window and stared at her, confused. "Why? You're not the one getting married."

Sam sighed. "I know, but Mark never said whether he'd invited Dad or not, and I've been afraid to ask either of them. I guess it could be a disaster either way you look at it."

"Sam, there's nothing you can do about it. Either your dad will be there or he won't. Don't let it spoil your weekend. Your dad wouldn't want that." It was Daniel's turn to sigh. "I hate to say that, I really do. I think Mark should have invited your dad. But considering the bad blood between them, it may be best that he didn't. _If_ he didn't."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Sam agreed sorrowfully. "Mark's wedding isn't exactly the best place to work things out. There's bound to be a lot of yelling and bad feelings."

"You have a point. Stubbornness is a Carter family trait." He unsuccessfully fought back an impish smile.

Sam smacked his arm. "Hey! I resemble that remark!" They both laughed. "So when's your flight back to Los Angeles?" she asked once they'd calmed down.

Daniel grew serious. "I'm not going back to Los Angeles," he answered softly.

The young woman blinked. "What?"

"I'm transferring to the University of Chicago. I've already shipped most of my things there. I made arrangements for them to arrive the day before I do, and someone at my dorm building will make sure they're put in my room."

"When did you arrange this?" Hurt began to bleed into her tone.

Daniel sighed. "The shipping of my things? When I got back from Jack's wedding. My transfer? In early March."

"But why? And why didn't you tell me?"

"Oh, Sam, I didn't do this to hurt you," he said, reaching over and taking her hand. "I didn't tell anyone I was doing this. I got a letter from the University of Chicago in February asking me what my intentions were regarding the scholarship I'd been offered. So I sat down and tried to go through my pros and cons again for there and UCLA. I couldn't make up my mind. So I signed up for classes at both schools, knowing I would withdraw from one or the other before the school year ended and not incur any penalties. It took me to the beginning of May to see something I should have seen a long time ago, and I knew I had to go to Chicago."

"What happened to UCLA? Not that it matters, I guess, about you going to Chicago, but what was it?" She gave his hand a squeeze.

"The main reason I picked UCLA over Chicago in the first place was you, Sam. Your dad was stationed in Los Angeles, and that meant that you'd be coming back for vacations and holidays. I wanted to be there when you did. And then your dad got transferred, and I eventually realized that maybe that wasn't the best reason to have picked that school. UCLA is a good school, don't get me wrong, but the University of Chicago is the better one for what I'm aiming for. I wasn't thinking about what was best for my future, I was thinking about what was best for my present." His bright blue eyes dropped to his lap as he finished his confession.

Sam chewed on her lower lip for a moment as she considered what she'd been told. "Well, we're not dealing with a cardinal sin here, Daniel," she finally said. "I'm flattered that I was that important to your choice. I'm just sorry I kept you from making the best decision for yourself."

That made Daniel look up. "Sam, no, don't. You shouldn't apologize. You had no idea what I was thinking. It's not your fault I was thinking like a child that didn't want to give up his best friend and move away, even though it was best for him." He was stopped by the pre-flight instructions and safety lecture.

"You've lost a lot over the years, Daniel," Sam said once they'd taken off. "It's only natural you wouldn't want to let something special to you go if you didn't have to."

"I know. I'm starting to understand that. But you can't blame yourself either."

Sam stared at him for a long moment then began to laugh. "Look at us! We're both beating ourselves up over something so stupid! You decided to change schools, big deal. It took you a little while to tell me, but you did. I know you wouldn't hurt me on purpose. So it took you a little longer than you would have hoped to realize why you'd picked UCLA over the University of Chicago. You're going to be going there now, right? Problem solved!" She giggled some more.

Daniel blinked a few times at her outburst then sheepishly began to grin. "I guess you're right. We _did_ make too big a deal out of this."

Sam finished laughing, but her smile didn't fade. "So tell me about your new school, Daniel. I want to hear all about it."

They spent the rest of the flight talking about the University of Chicago and what Daniel hoped to accomplish there. By the time they landed in Miami, they'd forgotten all about their foolish guilt trips and were focused on the fun they were going to have.

* * *

Sam and Daniel sat in a pew in the church waiting for a couple members of the bridal party to show up for the rehearsal two nights later, bored out of their minds. Everyone there was at least four years older than the both of them and not inclined to socializing with the groom's little sister and her little friend. "Now I know why Mark was so keen on having you come," Sam whispered to the young man at her side. "To keep me entertained." 

"But we're both bored. I think his plan backfired."

"Sam," Julie Hodgson, Mark's fiancé, said as she approached the pair. "Could I talk to you for a minute?" She shot a furtive look over her shoulder at the groom-to-be, relaxing a fraction when she saw he was totally caught up in a conversation with his best man. "I haven't had a chance to talk to you alone since you got here."

Daniel looked from one woman to the other and sighed. "I'll just go... look at the altar... or something." He got up and went to the front of the church.

"What is it you needed, Julie?" Sam asked.

Julie swallowed nervously. "Mark would be so upset with me if he knew I was talking about this with you, but I think it needs to be done. I'm sure you've figured out by now that your dad won't be coming. Mark refused to invite him. He wouldn't even send him an announcement."

Sam closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the back of the pew. "I was afraid to tell him, and I figured it was Mark's job in the first place. But I mailed Dad my invitation along with my hotel and room number. He has to know by now. I'm just surprise he hasn't called."

The older woman sat down dejectedly next to the blonde. "I tried to tell him this was his father he was talking about, that no matter what had happened before the two of them would always be family. Things went downhill from there."

"I can imagine," Sam said sympathetically.

"I'm sure you can. Mark told me about what you said at your graduation. I tried to back you up, but I didn't get very far."

"I was hoping I could get him to really think about things. Apparently it didn't work."

Julie took the other woman's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I wouldn't say that. I think it's mulling around in the back of his mind. He just hasn't made his way all the way through it yet." She sighed. "It's the only major thing I don't like about him to be honest. But I have hope that he'll see the light before too long. I really want to meet your father."

Sam opened her eyes and smiled. "I'm sure he'll love you. You've been great so far."

Julie returned the expression. "I'm glad you think so." She turned her head as two more people walked into the church. "Will and Jamie are here, so we can get started. It shouldn't be too much longer." She tucked a stray strand of strawberry blonde hair behind her ear, gave Sam's hand one last squeeze, and left to rejoin the wedding party. Sam merely watched her go, her brother's lingering bitterness a dark cloud hanging above her head and dampening her enjoyment of what should have been an entirely joyous occasion. Not even Daniel's repeated attempts to cheer her up over the next two days could completely dispel it, and she headed to Virginia very much subdued. She knew dealing with her father would be no better.

* * *

"Dear Daniel, 

"I probably shouldn't be writing you right now since we just got back from a mission and I haven't gone through a complete debriefing yet, but I had to talk to somebody. The damn mission was a complete bust, an utter failure. I was a little surprised at how quickly I got desensitized to killing and dead bodies, but this was different. This was my team.

"I can't go into details, but my CO was gunned down right in front of me, by someone who shouldn't have been there. What good is any kind of reconnaissance if it can't get you the facts you need? What's the point?

"We were together since June, that's it. We've been on more missions than I would have expected in that time, and I never would have expected how close we've all become. I guess I should say were, how close we were. When John went down, I dragged him behind some cover and tried to figure out what I could do to stop the bleeding. But it was already too late. Blood was coming out of his mouth, and he looked up at me and asked me to take care of his wife for him. And then he died, right there in my arms. All I could do was call a retreat, grab his dogtags and run like hell. What the hell kind of friend am I, anyway?

"Don't. You don't have to answer that. I know I did the only thing I could, what needed to be done to save as many of the others as I could. But damn if it doesn't hurt like a knife through the heart. And it'll probably take longer to heal.

"I'm sorry to dump all this on you, Daniel. I just knew that while you couldn't exactly relate, you'd understand, if that makes any sense. I doubt it does. Considering the jumbled mess my head's in at the moment, it wouldn't surprise me if you needed to use one of your multitudes of foreign languages to figure out what I've just spewed out. How many is it now, anyway? Fifty? A hundred?

"I'll try to write again soon, once I've sorted through everything. Stay safe until then.

"Your friend,

"Jack"

* * *

"Mrs. O'Neill..." 

"Carolyn."

"Carolyn. You didn't have to go through so much trouble to be here on opening night. I know you have a show about ready to open."

"Daniel, there's only one opening night to a show. Did you really think I was going to miss it? Jack would kill me! He's expecting a full report, and he told me I had to be the one to give it since he knew you never would. Besides, you'd think after a year and half here you'd be used to me by now."

Daniel struggled to keep from rolling his eyes. Jack's mother meant well. He was just glad Chris O'Neill wasn't there, too. He wouldn't be coming until next week. "I really do have to get this stage makeup off. If I leave it on too long I break out. Mild allergy."

Carolyn's eyes widened. "Oh, I'm sorry, dear! You get back in there then and clean yourself up. I'll wait out here. Once you're ready I'll treat you to a late supper worthy of your star status." The dark-haired brunette grinned.

Daniel sighed. "You know, there _is_ a cast party going on tonight."

"That _you_ really shouldn't be at," Carolyn said promptly. "I know what goes on at those things, and you're only eighteen. The last thing you want to do is get busted for underage drinking. Let me take you to dinner. I'll do my best not to embarrass you too much."

"All right, all right. Let me get cleaned up and changed. I didn't really want to go to the party anyway. Your offer's the perfect excuse." He gave the older woman a small smile and disappeared back into the makeup room.

Carolyn delivered on her promise, and soon enough the two of them were sitting at a nicer restaurant having a light, late-night meal. "As wonderful a job as you did tonight, I have to ask," the lady began. "Whatever got you involved with the theater? I didn't think you'd be interested."

Daniel paused to finish off the last forkful of green beans on his plate. "I found out I needed three more Fine Arts credits on top of my piano classes to complete the entirety of my general education requirements, and Acting 101 was the only thing that fit into my schedule this semester. To get an A, everyone needed to try out for any of the productions going on this spring and take any part offered. You only had to take one if there were more. I only tried out for The Importance of Being Earnest, none of the student-run productions appealing to me in the least." Daniel shrugged. "And that, as they say, is that."

Carolyn smiled proudly. "And now you have another feather for your cap. Just think, years from now you'll be able to tell your children that you played Jack Worthing in Oscar Wilde's classic play."

"I'm still surprised I got the role," Daniel scoffed. "I know how young I look. But Jim, our director, was sure that make-up would take care of that problem."

"And it did. Not to mention you handled the British accent wonderfully."

"That was a little easier. My exposure to different languages helped me pick up on the nuances of the varying inflections during the first couple of accent lessons. Those were quite fascinating, actually. Then again, we're basically talking about a different dialect of a language, which definitely falls under the purview of my studies." The young man smiled shyly.

Carolyn's expression turned gentle. "You are extremely knowledgeable about the subjects you've chosen to focus on, not to mention others I'm sure have caught your interest over the years. It's only natural that you'd enjoy those kinds of things the most. But you did a wonderful job on stage. I want you to know that."

"Thank you," Daniel replied, blushing slightly. "I really appreciate it."

The two of them then proceeded to enjoy the rest of the evening.

* * *

Two months later, three O'Neills sat in the audience as Daniel accepted recognition for earning two bachelors degrees from the University of Chicago in linguistics and archaeology. Once the ceremony was over, the eighteen-year-old met them by the bleachers of the gym. "Thanks for coming," Daniel said once the hugs were out of the way. 

"Like we'd be anywhere else," Carolyn said, a proud expression on her face and tears in her eyes.

"Beat cleaning my apartment," Chris said with a shrug and half grin.

"I told you I'd be here, so I'm here," Jack said softly, looking like he hadn't slept in three or four days. It was quite possible he hadn't, but Daniel wouldn't ask, not out in the open.

Daniel couldn't help but smile at that. "What? No surprises this time?"

Jack gave a chuckle. "Nah, don't have the energy. It's been a rough couple of months."

Carolyn checked her watch and gave a wordless sound of dismay. "Oh, I'm sorry, dear," she interrupted sorrowfully. "The museum with my latest exhibit has been having some security issues and I set up an appointment to speak with them about some new possibilities."

"And I'm her ride," Chris said regretfully. "You and Jack probably want to hang out alone anyway, so we'll leave you to it. Congrats, Daniel." He patted the new college graduate on the shoulder and started to head off.

"Yes, congratulations." Carolyn kissed Daniel on the cheek and headed off after her son.

"Is there anywhere in particular you wanted to go?" Daniel asked once he and Jack were alone.

"Someplace quiet is all I ask."

Daniel smiled. "Then I know just the place. Come on."

A half hour later the two friends were ensconced on the couch in the living room of Daniel's apartment drinking large glasses of orange juice. "So, you really think not taking a break is the right way to go?" Jack asked, watching his friend out of the corner of his eye.

Daniel shrugged. "I don't think I'm going to burn out if that's what you're worried about. My advisor, Dr. David Jordan, asked me the same thing when I came to him asking about the anthropology classes I'm taking this summer. But I want the degree without putting anything else on hold, so it needed to be done."

"Maybe, but I don't want you to be hovering on the edge of a break down before you see the need to put a few things on pause. Even if it's just for the summer."

"You worry too much. I'll be fine. I thrive on this stuff, remember?"

Jack sighed. Yeah, he knew that. He didn't have to like it, though. "What else are you doing this summer? Please tell me it's something fun," he practically pleaded.

Daniel couldn't help but laugh. "Sam was thinking about coming up here for a week during her vacation, have me show her around, things like that. She hasn't told me for sure yet."

The older man considered it. "Okay, that'll do. I won't get on your case too much then."

Blue eyes rolled. "Gee, thanks, Jack. I'm glad I have your blessing."

"You should be. It's hard to get."

"Sure it is. I seem to recall you telling me about the time you okayed the plan to fill your high school swimming pool with over three thousand smelt as a senior prank - when you were a junior. Remind me again, how bad was the smell?" Daniel gazed at him with raised eyebrows and his arms crossed over his chest.

"I forgot about the chlorine!" Jack protested. "I honestly thought the next day's gym class was going to come waltzing on in to find the fish swimming around and freak out."

Daniel choked back a snicker. "Oh, they freaked out, all right."

Jack didn't bother to fight his evil snigger. "That they did. The prank still worked; it took forever to clean out all the filters."

"Thus accounting for the smell..."

"And they never suspected me in the least," Jack continued, ignoring the comment. "Probably the only time they didn't." He narrowed his eyes at Daniel. "You never mentioned any senior prank at your school. Didn't you pull one off?"

"Me personally? No. Never really crossed my mind - I was too worried about picking which college I wanted to go to in the fall. I know of at least one someone else pulled off, and believe me, if I'd had anything to do with it, it..." Daniel considered it for a moment, obviously trying to find the right words. "Oh, I just never would have done it," he said finally.

"What was it?" Jack asked, his eyes alight with curiosity.

Daniel cleared his throat, a touch of embarrassment in his expression. "Sam and Rebecca dragged me to the homecoming football game the Friday before... you know," he began, blushing slightly in remembrance of the debacle of the dance the night after the game. "Anyway, about halftime, while the cheerleaders were doing their routine, I finally got a clear look at the new patch of grass in the middle of the field. It seems that someone thought it would be funny to dig a ten yard trench in the shape of a... well, um..." His blush grew deeper.

Jack was totally bemused. "Just spit it out, already!"

Daniel sighed. "It was in the shape of a penis." The deep pink just wouldn't go away. "And when the groundkeeping staff filled it in and planted new turf to get ready for the game, you'd think they would have dug out the trench a little ways around... it. But when I looked down from the bleachers, all I could see, highlighted in the bright green of new grass, was a ten yard..." If Daniel turned any redder he'd likely pass out. "You know what I'm trying to say."

The Air Force officer burst out laughing. "Oh my God, you're serious, aren't you?"

A small smile began to form on the younger man's features. "Oh, yeah. A group of football players got up after the cheerleaders were done and mimicked them, shouting in falsetto voices, 'Give me a P! Give me an E!' and finally, 'What's that spell?'" The smile grew a bit wider. "The teachers stepped in before they could get anyone to respond."

"I can just see it!" Jack fell over on the couch, arms wrapped around his stomach and his eyes squeezed shut.

"It would have been the talk of the school for weeks," Daniel said with a resigned sigh.

That stopped Jack's laughter, although it didn't completely wipe away the grin. "Saturday's dance, right?"

Daniel nodded. "Did I ever tell you how eerily accurate you were when you responded to the letter I wrote telling you about it?"

Jack's grin widened. "No, actually. I was right?" He paused for a moment, his expression faltering. "What did I say?"

"I'm not going into details. Needless to say, Sam's then-boyfriend thought I was trying to make moves on her and got in my face when she and I danced toward the end of the night. It wasn't pretty."

"Oh, yeah, now I remember. That was funny, too."

"From almost two years in the future, I agree with you. I didn't then." Daniel took in the relaxed form of his friend. "Feeling better?" he asked softly.

Jack started with surprise. "What?" he shot back, confused.

Daniel shrugged. "You looked like you'd come close to reaching the end of your rope and were considering tying a knot so you could hold on a little while longer. I'm not asking for details, but how have you been doing?"

Jack stared at him for a long, silent moment, then let loose an equally long, silent breath from the depths of his person. "Tired, Daniel. I'm very tired. I never expected what I've seen and done. But stuff like this," he gestured around in a wide yet vague manner, "recharges me. And before you can ask, no, there's really nothing you can do. I'm heading home to Sara day after tomorrow to finish up my week's leave. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure there's nothing?"

Brown eyes softened under the assault of warmth and compassion. "Just keep doing what you're doing, Daniel. Write me. Tell me about what's going on with you, and Sam, and anyone else you run into. Let me know the real world's out here. Remind me what it's all for. That's all I've asked of Sara, and now it's all I'm asking of you."

Daniel smiled. "I can do that."

"Knew you could." Jack stretched and glanced at the clock on the wall. "I should get going. I need to check into a hotel before Mom drags me off to her place."

"Or..." Daniel said slowly, "you could just stay here. It's not the most comfortable thing in the world, but my sofa does fold out into a bed. My roommate a couple of years back left it behind when he moved out of the dorms. I've had it ever since."

"Thank you. I think I'd like that."

"I'll get some extra blankets."

Before Daniel went even three steps, his phone rang. With a brief apologetic look toward Jack, he quickly answered it. "Hello?"

Jack couldn't help but notice Daniel brighten considerably when he heard the response on the other end. "Hey, Sam! I wasn't expecting to hear from you!" _Well, that answers that_, Jack thought with a smile.

"Thanks, Sam. Just think, next year it's your turn." Daniel chuckled at the response. "I know, I know. Jack, his mom, and his brother Chris were all there, so that was cool. Actually, Jack's here now. We were talking when you called." He paused and listened for a moment. "No, no, you weren't interrupting. Look, why don't I put you on speaker phone so we can all talk?" He pushed the right button.

"Speaker phone?" Sam's tinny voice blared out from the tiny speaker above the number pad. "When did you get a speaker phone?"

"The archaeology department just updated their phone system so Doctor Jordan let me have one of the old phones. My last one didn't make it."

There was a pause as Jack listened in, amused. "You've got that thing turned on, don't you? You sound weird," Sam said finally.

"Don't worry, Sam. You sound just as strange," Jack chimed in.

"Is that you, Jack?"

"Ya sure ya betcha," the older man drawled as Daniel caught his eye and gestured before going to his bedroom to get the blankets he'd promised.

The sound of Sam clearing her throat came through. "I... suppose I should call you captain or sir," she said, a forming blush obvious in her tone.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Look, right now I can't see your cadet uniform, and you can't see my bars. Let's skip it."

There was a tiny giggle. "Okay, Jack, thanks."

"So, how is the Academy going?" Daniel asked as he returned and handed the blanket and extra pillow to Jack. "Is anyone else giving you a hard time?"

"Hard time?" Jack repeated, pausing in the act of setting the sofa's cushions aside. "What kind of hard time?"

Sam sighed. "Let's just say it's not always easy being a girl. Add to that your dad being a high-ranking officer..."

"Ah. Gotcha."

"Well?" Daniel asked.

"It's nothing I can't take care of, Daniel. If it gets too much worse I'll talk to one of my instructors."

Jack looked at the phone sternly. "Make sure you do that. You guys are supposed to be there to learn, not play stupid, immature games. Besides, you don't deserve that kind of crap."

There was another pause acknowledging the sentiment. "So how have you been, Jack?"

"Busy."

There was a loud clunk as the hideaway bed's metal frame was unfolded and hit the floor. "What the heck was that?" Sam asked.

The two men shared a sheepish look. "I was just pulling out the sofa bed to get it ready for Jack. He's staying with me while he's here," Daniel explained.

"Isn't it kind of early?"

"I just need to crash for a while before Danny and I paint the town tonight," Jack said quickly.

"I should let you go then."

"Did I say that?" Jack asked with a roll of his eyes. "Keep talking. If I zonk out on you in the middle you can still talk to Daniel. He finally managed to outgrow a need for naps."

Daniel's jaw dropped. "Hey!" he protested indignantly.

Sam laughed. "I think he did that a long time ago."

Jack shrugged. "We'll see."

The three of them talked for another hour and a half, another set of bonds between them solidly forming.

* * *

By late September of that year, Daniel questioned the accuracy of what he'd told Jack after earning his undergraduate degrees. Between the classes he was taking toward a third bachelor's degree in anthropology and the work he was putting in for a pair of masters theses, he found himself constantly studying. It wasn't really a problem, but Daniel wasn't sure he'd still use the word "thrive" to describe the experience. 

One late, windy night, Daniel sat at his desk taking notes as he read a thick tome regarding ancient Egyptian civilizations. The leaves had just recently begun to turn, and the air had developed a touch of an autumnal tang that would only grow more definitive as time went on. Daniel noticed none of this, even as a slight breeze managed to make its way into his apartment through a window open just a crack to keep the air from getting stale. In fact, he hadn't noticed those things for over a week as he'd just begun to examine the beginnings of a new theory, and his excitement had his nose in one book or another most of the time he was awake.

The phone ringing barely registered on his consciousness. But whoever was calling was persistent. Around about ring sixteen, Daniel blinked and glanced over his shoulder at the table where the phone rested, then made a grab for the receiver as his eyes were drawn back to the text before him. "Hello," he answered distantly.

"Hey, Daniel."

"Oh, hi, Jack," Daniel replied automatically, pushing his glasses back up his nose. That sentence couldn't be right, could it?

A moment of silence went by unnoticed by at least half of the connection. "Um, Daniel? Aren't you glad to hear from me?"

Daniel turned the page, deciding to go back to that question later. "Of course, Jack. Are you in Europe?"

"Actually I'm in Florida. My last assignment didn't take as long as expected, so we got to come home for a while. Whatcha up to?"

"Unfortunately only page two hundred and thirty-seven. I have to get this back by the end of the week."

Had he been paying closer attention, Daniel would have heard the sound of skin contacting skin most likely due to an open palm striking a forehead. "Uh, look, Daniel, I really need to talk to you. Something important has come up."

"You can tell me anything," Daniel said automatically, flipping another page. "They really didn't use the best inks in the late eighteen hundreds, did they?" he grumbled.

There was a loud sigh. "I mean it, Daniel. It has to do with Sara."

Daniel brought his head up at the sound of poorly-concealed panic in his friend's voice. "Jack? What's wrong? Is Sara all right? Her family? Friends?"

"Hold it! Boy, when you come back to Earth, you really make a sensation, don't you!"

"Jack, why did you call? Not that I don't appreciate it, but..."

"I thought I was the one that was supposed to be panicking here."

Daniel blinked. "You are?"

Jack sighed again. "I think so. I'm not sure what to make of this one. I mean, it's huge."

The younger man swallowed nervously. "It's not cancer, is it?" he asked softly.

"No! Oh, no! And thank God for that!"

"So what is it?"

There was a long pause. "What are you working on?" Jack finally asked.

Daniel pulled the phone away from his ear for a second and stared at it incredulously. "I have a new theory I'm hoping I can use for my masters thesis in archaeology," he said once he brought it back to the side of his head. "I'm doing research to try to validate it. But that's not what you really want to talk about."

The sound of a body flopping onto a piece of furniture came across the line. "No, it's not," Jack admitted. "Sara cornered me as soon as I got home this afternoon. I'd been gone for a little over a month, but like I said earlier... You _did_ hear me earlier, didn't you? You sounded awfully distracted."

Daniel blushed. "I was. But you said something about your last assignment not taking that long, so you were home. What did Sara tell you?"

"Well..." The reluctance to continue was almost palpable. "She said she didn't know what possessed her to go. It was just a gut feeling."

"What was?" Daniel asked after another long pause.

"She went to the doctor, got tested for a few things. Daniel, she's pregnant. She's going to have a baby."

The young man fell back in his chair at the news, a huge smile forming on his face. "Jack, that's great news! You're going to be a father!"

Jack swallowed. "I'm not sure I can do this."

The admission halted Daniel in his verbal tracks. "Oh, Jack," he said, leaning forward again. "Jack, you'll be fine. You like kids."

"When they're not mine."

"I don't buy that. And it's not like you've had a chance before now to prove it one way or the other. Didn't you want children?"

"We never talked about it. I never really _thought_ about it." A soft sigh barely made itself heard through the connection. "You're right. I like kids. I guess I just assumed I'd have some one day after I got married. But that was for the future; this is _now_."

Daniel frowned slightly as he considered what to say next. "What does Sara think?"

There was a tiny pause. "She seemed a bit scared, a bit nervous... and a bit excited."

"Sounds pretty normal to me."

"Well, yeah, but, Daniel..."

"Jack," Daniel interrupted firmly. "Let me put this a different way. You love Sara, right?"

It took a beat, but Jack finally responded, "Of course."

"With all your heart?"

"Yes."

"And Sara loves you?"

There was a short chuckle. "Amazingly enough, yes."

"Then I'd say this child is nothing more than the ultimate expression of the love you two share. And he or she is going to be one lucky kid to be surrounded with such love."

This time the silent pause was much longer. "Thank you, Daniel," Jack whispered, his voice filled with emotion. "I needed to hear that."

Daniel smiled. "I know. That's why I said it."

That got a brief laugh. "You little... I don't know what I'm going to do with you." It was shaky, but a smile could be heard in the older man's tone.

Daniel shrugged. "You'll think of something."

"You bet I will. Look, Sara just got home so I should get going. Thanks again, Daniel."

"Anytime. Just keep me updated on how things are going, okay?"

"I promise. Bye, Daniel."

"Goodbye, Jack. And congratulations to both of you."

Soon after, Daniel hung up, a small, satisfied smile lighting his features. He shook his head, gave one last glance at the phone, and went back to his research.

* * *

The next seven months went by relatively uneventfully. Jack spent a lot of that time off on classified missions, growing more and more nervous the closer Sara's due date got. Frank Cromwell caught up with him as often as he could, proud as punch he was going to be an honorary uncle. Daniel's letters kept on as they always had, as did Jack's in return. 

Sara, even through her hormonal roller coaster, found a deep well of patience in regards to her husband. She didn't like that he couldn't be there for the doctor's appointments, the weird cravings, or the baby showers, but she knew why and could accept it. Had accepted it, actually, the day she had told him she thought he should follow his heart and take the Special Ops training. When he was home, he doted on her like she was extremely fragile and any move could break her. It was nice not to have to do the housework, but escorts to the bathroom were a bit much.

She had finally gotten it through Jack's head that it was actually better for her and the baby if she moved around and did some things for herself when he came home the second week of April. He was in a bit of a huff anyway, as they still couldn't come anywhere near a compromise on a name for the baby. Her mother and sisters had all assured her the way she carried the child and other various little things that they had noticed during the pregnancy were sure signs she was having a girl, no matter that the doctor wouldn't commit one way or the other and none of the ultrasounds were conclusive. Sara couldn't help but lean in that direction herself, and tended to look more closely through that section of the name book her cousin Eileen had gotten her when she heard the news. Jack's choices could always be traced back to his family tree _somewhere_, and Sara wasn't sure the branch of the O'Neill clan she'd signed up with had _any_ inclination toward taste whatsoever.

Add to that Jack's obvious insecurities regarding the addition of a new member of their family and the blonde woman was about ready to strangle him. Well, that or find a dark, secluded corner somewhere to cry until the baby came. Sara sighed and readjusted her weight as she worked on the baby blanket she was crocheting and watched Jack walk by the living room toward the kitchen with barely a glance in her direction. Okay, the pendulum was swinging back toward strangulation...

She was about to call after him when the oddest sensation swept through her, followed closely by a muffled splash and a definite feeling of wetness on the chair beneath her. Of course, that had nothing on the twisting her insides had decided to indulge in at that point. "Jack!" she shouted, tossing the unfinished blanket aside as panic began to surface. "Jack, it's happening now!"

Jack hurried back into the living room. "What? What's happening now?"

"My water just broke, Jack! The baby's coming!" The soon-to-be mother's eyes were as wide as saucers and her body trembled.

"No, it's not," Jack refuted immediately. "Your due date isn't for another nine days."

"Then how do you explain the chair?" Sara snarled, immediately irked at his denial.

Jack blinked as he took in the wet cushion. "Um... you spilled your drink?" he answered weakly.

Sara's jaw clenched even tighter. "I didn't have a drink!"

Jack blinked again. "Well, why not? Your doctor told you to drink plenty of fluids. He said you should probably try to have something nearby all the time."

"Jack!"

"What?"

Her intense, pain-filled gaze bore into his wide, clueless one. "I need to go to the hospital," she said slowly and succinctly, amazing herself with her control. "You need to go upstairs and grab my bag then get the car ready while I call Doctor DeLuca. In fact, you should do that right _now_."

Jack automatically nodded. "Yeah... I'll go... do that." He spun around and sprinted up the stairs.

"Men!" Sara declared to the ceiling, exasperated, before pushing herself up and over to the phone.

Seventeen hours and too many death threats to count later, Sara and Jack were in the delivery room, the big show coming quickly to its climax. "Push, Sara, push! Just a little bit longer!" Jack encouraged his exhausted wife, flinching when he got another tight squeeze from the hand he held and a loud groan as a response.

Doctor DeLuca looked up from where he waited for the baby. "That's right, Mrs. O'Neill. Push and remember to breathe. The baby will be crowning any time... There!" he exclaimed.

It wasn't much longer before the cry of a newborn baby could be heard echoing around the delivery room. "Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. O'Neill," one of the nurses said with a gentle smile on her face. "You have a beautiful baby boy. Just let us clean him up and take care of a few things."

"Oh, Jack," Sara said breathlessly, limply lying on the bed now that the majority of her ordeal was over. "A son. We have a son."

"How?" Jack muttered, shocked. "Your mom said you were having a girl."

Sara's eyes narrowed. "Don't start, Jack."

"But your mom - and your sisters, too, now that I think about it - said you were having a girl."

The exhausted woman couldn't help but sigh. Jack sounded so lost, so out of his depth. "Jack, they were basing that _guess_ on a bunch of factors that aren't always that reliable. And none of the other tests I've gone through said anything conclusive. You're going to have to just accept the fact that you are now the father of the next male to carry on the O'Neill name." She smiled. "Just think of all the fun you're going to have."

Jack stared at her, trying to let everything sink in. "A boy? We have a boy?"

"And a beautiful one at that," the same nurse as before said happily from behind him. She leaned over and placed a blue-blanketed bundle in his mama's arms. "Here you go, Mommy."

"Oh, my," Sara said through a choked sob, staring down at the little life she now held. "Look at him, Jack. Isn't he just perfect?"

Jack was silent as he took in the picture of his wife and son before him. It was all so surreal. His eyes widened as Sara offered up the tiny parcel. "Me?" he practically squeaked.

Sara nodded. "Take him, Jack. You'll know why when you do."

The brown-haired man swallowed and did as requested. Once the baby was settled in the crook of his arm, misty brown eyes took in every inch of the tiny form. And that's when he understood, that's when he realized what Sara had meant. This small slice of life that he'd helped create, was a _part_ of him, suddenly and irrevocably stole his heart. Jack knew from that moment on, with a calm acceptance that shook him to the core, that this child would be the center of his world.

He met his wife's eyes and smiled.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

* * *

The telephone was ringing. One bleary blue eye cracked open at the sound and glared around the pitch black room, promising laser blue death to whoever or whatever could possibly think it was acceptable to disturb the orb's owner's barely two-hour's worth of sleep. Writing two masters theses was hard work and time-consuming, and Daniel had only recently fallen into bed after finally getting over the hump on his archaeology paper. A groping hand nearly knocked over the bedside table before snatching up the telephone's receiver. "This is Daniel Jackson and _you_ apparently have a death wish, whoever you are." 

"You just aren't a morning person, are you?"

"I can be when the sun's up and I've had half a pot of coffee. Who the hell is this?"

Chuckling on the other end almost had Daniel slamming the phone down in disgust. "Daniel, it's Jack. You remember me, don't you? Captain in the Air Force who kills trees to communicate with you?"

That made Daniel really open his eyes. "Jack? What are doing calling at..." He squinted his eyes to make out the numbers on his digital alarm clock. "Four thirty-two in the morning? Don't you ever sleep?"

"Well, it's actually five thirty-two here, but that's neither here nor there. Daniel, I'm calling from the hospital. The baby's here."

"The baby... The baby?" The college student rolled on to his back and sat bolt upright, completely awake. "Wow, Jack, that's great! Are she and Sara okay? Did everything go all right?"

"Yeah, Sara's fine. So is my son. It's a boy, Daniel."

Daniel grinned. "So I guess all those little signs aren't as reliable as her family thought, huh?"

"That's what I'm thinking."

Daniel paused. Something in his friend's tone wasn't quite right. "Um, Jack, are you sure everything's all right? You don't sound as happy as I figured you would."

The sound of an explosive breath being released came through the receiver. "Why does everyone expect me to be Mister Happy-go-lucky all the time? Why is it if I'm not doing backflips there has to be something wrong?"

The young man blinked at the ferocity in the snarled words. "Hold it, hold it, Jack! You know I don't think that way! There was just something in your tone that said you weren't that happy, and I was wondering what it was. No judgment calls."

There was a long moment of silence. "Christ, Daniel, I'm sorry," Jack said finally. "I've just spent the past hour talking to all the relatives, and every last one of them are bouncing around like this is _their_ kid and telling me that I'm just tired, that I'll be as giddy as they are once I've gotten some sleep. It seems that if I don't make light of things and crack jokes about serious situations there's something wrong with me. Or something horrible is happening that I don't want to tell them about. Why can't I just not be as excited as them?"

"Is that really true? Are you really not that excited about the birth of your son?" Daniel asked carefully, his tone as neutral as he could make it.

"I'm excited, sure, and I think he's beautiful, but I'm not bouncing off the walls."

"Why?"

There was another pause at the simple question. "I don't know," Jack said softly.

Daniel considered it. "I could be off base here, since up to two hours ago I was busy writing a couple papers about archaeology and ancient languages, but let me give it a shot. Did you hold him?"

"Yeah, Sara asked me to. You were working until two-thirty on your thesis? Don't _you_ ever sleep?" Jack's tone was incredulous.

"When I need to, yes. My deadline is coming up fast and I had finally worked out a problem I was having with my archaeology thesis. How did you feel when you held him?"

"It was incredible, actually. I've never loved anybody or anything that completely," Jack answered softly then cleared his throat. "Are you going to be able to finish in time?"

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Yes, Jack, especially now that I've worked through that logic knot. Do you think maybe you're feeling a little overwhelmed by your feelings for your son?"

Jack cleared his throat again. "It's possible I guess. Why didn't you ask one of your professors to help you? Then maybe you wouldn't have to be up at all hours of the night working."

The teenager sighed and rubbed his eyes. "It wouldn't really be _my_ paper if I ran to someone else every time I had a problem, Jack. Besides, it's kind of exciting when I finally figure it out on my own. Are you still having doubts about being a parent?"

The long tense silence told Daniel more clearly than any words that he'd just hit on the crux of the problem. "Is there something wrong with me, Daniel?" Jack eventually asked breathlessly, uncharacteristic uncertainty coloring the question. "I _should_ be excited. I should be handing out those stupid blue bubble gum announcement cigars to anyone I can run down. I should be babbling incessantly about the light blond fuzz that covers his head and how perfectly formed his fingers and toes are. But all I can think of is how thoroughly frightened I am that he's going to break when I hold him, that something will happen that I won't know how to deal with. All I know right now is that I'm not ready for this. I'm not ready for a tiny little life to be so dependent on me for everything he needs. And more than anything I'm afraid he's going to grow up and find out what I do for a living and hate me for it. What business do I have bringing a life into this world when my job revolves around taking lives?"

"Oh, Jack," Daniel breathed. It was worse than he thought. "Jack, don't you see? That's exactly _why_ it's so wonderful you and Sara now have a child. To prove that life and love are greater than the evil that makes what you do so necessary. To prove that no matter what darkness is out there it cannot triumph." He gave a small, quiet laugh. "Corny, I know, but it's true. Life's not fair, Jack. Sometimes it flat out sucks. But then moments like this happen. You have a son, Jack. A beautiful little boy who will be loved by his family and learn to share that love with the people around him, making at least his little part of the world a better place just for having been a part of it."

"God, Daniel," Jack said after another long pause. "How do you do it? How can you see the world the way you do? After everything..." His voice cut off sharply as he realized what he was saying.

Daniel smiled. "After everything that's happened, I have to look at the world this way. If I didn't, the gift of life my parents gave me would be wasted. And I love them too much to throw anything they've given me away like that."

There was another moment of contemplative silence. "But I still don't know if I'll be a good dad," Jack said quietly.

"And that's exactly why you will. You're not taking anything for granted."

"Daniel, is there anything you don't have an answer for?"

"Probably not."

"How can you store so much knowledge and wisdom in that brain of yours?"

The younger man laughed. "I never said those answers would be based on knowledge or wisdom. There's lots of stuff I don't know or understand. But give me enough time, and I'll always be able to come up with something to answer your question. Now whether or not it's the _correct_ answer..."

Jack laughed too. "You've already got one up on most of those so-called experts out there then."

"How's that?"

"You've got just the right tone of voice to make people believe you always know what you're talking about."

"Just don't give away my secret."

Jack chuckled, and Daniel could just see him slowly shaking his head. "Will you be able to come down after the school year's done to see the baby?" he asked, much calmer.

Daniel thought about it. "I think I might be able to pull it off. I've been doing some part time work as Doctor Jordan's research assistant when I have the time. He pays pretty well."

There was a barely audible sound of approval from the other end of the line. "What about Sam's graduation? Will you still be able to go out there if you come down here?"

"Not a problem, Jack. I've been saving for that since I started college."

"Then I guess everything's good," Jack proclaimed, satisfied.

"Only if you're really feeling okay with everything," Daniel qualified.

"I am, Daniel, thanks to you. You know, my boy's going to be really lucky to have an uncle like you in his life."

That caused a blush to creep across Daniel's cheeks. He could only be glad Jack couldn't see it. "I'm honored you think so."

"You should be." Daniel rolled his eyes at the pompous tone. "Now I think I'm going to let you get back to sleep. I'm sure you have classes in a little while."

Now the student grinned. "Nope. It's Friday. I made sure I didn't have any classes on Friday. And I haven't had classes on Fridays for the last two years. My advisor told me I'm a master at schedule manipulation."

Jack laughed. "I bet. Either way I'll let you go, Daniel. Let me know as soon as you can if you'll be down."

"I will. And Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"Congratulations. I couldn't be happier for you."

"Thanks, Daniel. I'm feeling pretty good right now myself. Good night."

"Good night." With one last fond look at the phone as he returned the receiver to its rightful place, Daniel snuggled back under his covers and into his pillows and was soon asleep, a smile of joy for his friend still on his lips.

* * *

"You can't be serious," Sara said to her husband incredulously two days later. 

"Why not?" Jack asked in return, truly confused.

"I thought we weren't going to be calling him after anybody."

Jack blinked. "We said we weren't going to name the baby after any of our _parents_. We didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. But what's wrong with this?"

Sara sighed and rubbed her hands over her face. "Daniel's more _your_ friend than mine."

"So pick one of your friends and we'll use that for a middle name."

"All of my close friends are women!" the new mother snapped, her fist slamming onto the hospital bed she was still resting in. "And they have pretty feminine names at that!"

Jack pinched the bridge of his nose. He supposed he should just be glad they'd gotten to the part of the argument where he got to hear the reasons for her fifteen minutes of flat denial to name their son after his best friend. "Sara, he's the most special person besides you that I know. I want to honor that. Why is that so wrong?" His brown eyes were hard as they glared at the woman in the bed.

She flung her arm out in a wide, vague gesture, her expression as hard as his. "That right there is my point. I don't need to hear about _two_ Daniels constantly. I want my son to be special, to hold a singular place in your heart."

The captain's jaw dropped. "You have _got_ to be kidding me. You honestly think that I wouldn't love my son as much if his name was Daniel too? You really think I'm that shallow? Are you trying to tell me I'm too stupid to tell the difference, that I'll get the two of them mixed up in my head or something?"

Sara flinched slightly at the suddenly cold tone. "No, I don't think that. I just... I can't seem to find the words I need to explain."

"I think you've said enough." The deep freeze was still in place.

"Damn it, Jack, let me try again! I'm just not comfortable naming our son Daniel, all right? I can't explain it, and I'm just frustrating and insulting the both of us by trying. Please, let's just find another name."

Jack's chin dropped to his chest. "I don't know, Sara. I might get confused. I'm pretty stupid, you know."

Sara hit the bed again. "Oh, knock it off! You know I don't think of you that way." She took a deep breath and released it. "How about we use Daniel as a middle name? Will that work as a compromise?"

Jack stared at her silently for a long, tense moment. "Yeah, all right, fine," he said finally, letting his muscles relax with the words. "That's not unreasonable. What did you have in mind for a first name?"

"I don't have anything in mind." She grabbed the name book off the bedside table. "But we have plenty of choices if you're willing to go through this with me."

"Let's do it."

Sara watched her husband with a wary eye as he came over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it. It was obvious she'd hurt him by taking the stand she did, but he'd agreed to the compromise and so had shoved those feelings away. Worse, he'd never talk about it willingly with her again. She gave an internal sigh and focused on the book Jack had snatched out of her hand.

* * *

"Thanks for taking me to dinner, Jack. The food on the plane was awful." 

"Yeah, well, I think that's some sort of rule or something. I'm just sorry you can only stay for the weekend."

"Doctor Jordan asked me to be around next week to help with a new shipment the Oriental Institute is getting in. He said I'd love it." Daniel grinned at his friend.

Jack returned it. "I don't doubt that." He gestured toward his car as they reached it, leaving the restaurant behind them. "Although I'm shipping out on Wednesday, so it's not like it would have been worth it for you to stay that much longer anyway."

Daniel gave him a curious look before getting in on the passenger side. "Can you tell me where?"

"Frankfurt to start with. Can't tell you more than that."

"Fair enough."

It was a relatively short drive to Jack and Sara's house, where Daniel insisted on carrying his own bag inside. "It's a duffle bag, Jack. I may be a student, not a soldier, but I think I can handle it."

Jack scowled at him. "I'm your host."

"And if I had a suitcase I'd let you carry it. Can we just go inside?" Daniel stared at the older man expectantly. Jack shook his head and led the way.

"Daniel!" Sara called from the living room once the front door was shut behind the two men. "It's good to see you. How was your flight?"

"Tedious. But I'm here now and that's what counts. How are you?" He shot a dark look at Jack as the Air Force captain snatched his duffle bag and took it to the guest room.

Sara fought back a snicker. "Still get tired more easily than I used to, but it's getting better. Shouldn't be too much longer before I've bounced back completely. Did you eat?"

Daniel nodded. "We stopped at a restaurant before we came here." He joined the blonde back in the other room when Jack didn't immediately reappear. "This will be a nice break from all the work I've been doing."

She gave him a gentle smile. "You definitely earned those two masters degrees you can now hang on your wall from everything Jack's told me."

Daniel smiled shyly. "I'd like to think so. But I'm not done yet. I'll be starting work on my first doctorate in the fall."

"You'll be just fine."

"Damn right you will," Jack agreed from the entryway.

Daniel turned his head and saw the reason for Jack's delay. In his arms was a diminutive figure, and on his face was the gentlest expression the younger man had ever seen on him. "So that's what was taking you so long," he said with a smile.

Jack gave a small shrug. "Well, you came here for a reason. Come meet my son." He looked at his wife. "Sorry. Our son."

Daniel stepped over to where his friend was standing and looked down into the tiny face, smiling widely when the bright eyes that had yet to change color from a deep blue blinked up at him. "He's beautiful," the young man said softly, reaching out a hand to brush a finger lightly across one of the chubby cheeks.

"Daniel, I'd like you to meet Charles Daniel Tyler O'Neill." The taller man watched his friend carefully for his reaction to the announcement.

"What?" Daniel asked, his dark blond head popping up. His summer blue eyes were wide behind his wire-framed glasses.

"And Charlie, I'd like you to meet the guy who's sure to become your favorite uncle no matter what Chris says, Daniel Jackson." Jack kissed his son's forehead, his eyes never quite leaving Daniel's face.

"Did you say Charles _Daniel_ Tyler O'Neill?" Daniel asked in disbelief. Jack nodded, the corners of his mouth threatening to break out into a grin. "Does that mean what I think it means?"

The grin broke free. "If you think that I named my son partly after you, then yes, it means what you think it means."

Daniel shook his head. "But... why?"

Jack's smile faded to a much more serious expression. "Daniel, you're the best friend I've ever had. You've stuck with me through a whole lot of crap, especially since I went into Special Ops. I know I can count on you for anything. Not to mention helping me keep my head on straight during some of the biggest moments of my life. I wanted to honor what that friendship means to me." Here he glanced past his friend to give his wife a significant look. "I can only hope that my child turns out like you."

Tears welled up in Daniel's eyes. "Thank you," he whispered, struggling to keep his emotions in check. He quickly dropped his eyes to the slightly squirming bundle in Jack's arms and said something in Egyptian Arabic.

"What did you just say?" Sara asked softly, tears in her own eyes.

"Just a traditional Egyptian blessing usually given at the birth of the first-born son," Daniel explained. "It means..."

"I know what it means," Jack said quietly. "My language instructor from the base said something similar when he stopped by the hospital the day after Charlie was born." He looked back at Sara. "I'll explain later."

The young man cleared his throat and gave Jack a speculative look from beneath his eyelashes. His friend was beginning to look uncomfortable with the conversation. He could fix that. "So are you okay?" Daniel asked, bringing his head up.

Jack blinked at the surprise in the other man's tone. "Yeah, why?"

"Well, with all this talk about feelings and emotions, I was beginning to wonder if maybe the Roswell greys came back to Earth and switched you with some sort of defective clone or something. You have to admit it's not like you, Jack."

Sara started laughing as Jack shifted Charlie further into the crook of his left arm and used the right one to smack Daniel upside the head. "Very funny," he griped, unable to completely keep from smiling.

The lone woman in the room got to her feet and came over to the others. "I think that's enough from the both of you," she said as she took the baby from his father. "I suggest you two find something to entertain yourselves for a while before supper tonight. For now, this young man and I have a date for a late lunch."

Laughing, the two friends did as ordered, thus kicking off a weekend that would always remain one of their treasured memories.

* * *

Daniel was glad to see that the weather was just as beautiful for the second Air Force Academy graduation he'd attended as it was for the first. He grinned as Sam made her way through the crowd to his side. "Congratulations, Sam," he said proudly once she stood next to him. 

"Thank you," she gushed, impulsively hugging him. "I feel like I'm on top of the world right now!"

"And well you should," Jacob said as he joined them. "It's not every day you graduate top of the class from the academy." His eyebrows raised as Sam abruptly stood at attention and snapped off a perfect salute. "What the heck was that for?" he asked as he instinctually returned the gesture.

Sam shrugged. "Well, officially you _are_ my superior officer," she explained.

Jacob snorted. "That hasn't made a difference yet. Now come here." He pulled his daughter into a fierce embrace that was eagerly returned. "I can't believe you're going to Stanford after this," he said once they separated.

Sam grinned. "I earned it. Besides, how else can I keep up with Daniel and get my masters degree?" She gave her friend a wink.

"You'll need two for that, Sam," Daniel reminded her with a wicked glint in his eye.

"Show off."

Jacob proceeded to take a bunch of pictures of his two favorite graduates - he insisted this was just as much a celebration of Daniel's accomplishments as it was Sam's; she agreed - then took them out to lunch. Daniel gladly showed off the pictures of Charlie Jack had insisted he take with him when he'd left Florida. "So where's Jack?" Sam asked, peering closely at one of the prints.

Daniel shrugged. "He took the pictures. Wouldn't let anyone else near the camera. Sara showed me some she'd managed to take of him with Charlie, but Jack didn't let me take any of those. He said he looked like crap in them."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Figures."

"Definitely a cute kid," Jacob commented, holding another one of the photos. "Betcha he ends up quite the handful."

"He's Jack's child. Of _course_ he'll be a handful," Daniel said.

"But I bet he doesn't end up more of one than someone at this table I could name." Jacob shot his daughter a sly look.

Sam's jaw dropped. "Dad!" she protested.

The light-hearted conversation continued until Jacob took his leave, saying that he was expected at a meeting with someone at Peterson Air Force Base. Once he was gone, Daniel gave his friend a long, searching look. "Sam, was Mark supposed to be here today?" he asked quietly.

Blue-grey eyes immediately dropped to the tabletop. "Can we not talk about it here?" she whispered.

"Of course," Daniel immediately replied. "Where do you want to go?"

"Wherever. We could just walk, that would be fine."

"Let's go."

As Jacob had already paid for their meals, the two of them made their way quickly out to the street, Daniel following as Sam led them in what appeared to be a random direction. "I got a letter from him a couple weeks ago," Sam said once Daniel had stepped up to her side as she waited at a corner for traffic to clear. "He told me he wasn't coming."

Daniel narrowed his eyes, staying by his friend's side as they crossed the street. "That's not all he said, is it?"

Sam shook her head. "Not by a long shot. He... he said he couldn't support my decision to join the Air Force, that he thinks it's the biggest mistake I'll ever make in my life."

The young man's jaw clenched. "How dare he say that to you?"

"He thinks he's doing me a favor," she replied with a scowl.

"Some favor," Daniel muttered.

"Supposedly he understands why I've done what I did. He just says that some trade-offs aren't worth it to make a dream come true."

It made Daniel's heart hurt to watch Sam wipe away a tear that threatened to fall down her cheek. "You know better, don't you?" he asked.

She nodded. "I accepted my path a long time ago, even while I was so angry at Dad."

"Thinking of that, I'm sure your dad being here was another reason he didn't come."

"He said as much, right after he went on about Dad being glad he was getting at least one clone of himself."

Daniel sighed and looked around. Spying a park nearby, he gently took Sam's elbow and steered her toward it. "I want you to know a few things," he said once they were seated on a bench. "I'm proud of you for following your dream. I'm proud of you for having the courage to follow your heart in regards to your father, knowing how your brother would react. I'm proud of you for seeing the truth in spite of what your brother told you in that letter."

"He lied to me," she whispered, her eyes dropping away from his. "Mark lied to me."

"What? How?"

Sam swallowed and brought her gaze up once again. "He told me at our high school graduation that he'd support me and my choice to join the Air Force. Now he took that all away."

Daniel's jaw tensed and his eyes narrowed. "I didn't realize what he'd said while I was gone. I think I'm glad he's not here right now. I might have done something I'd probably regret."

Sam gave him a shaky smile. "You would have had to wait in line. I'm not exactly thrilled with my brother at the moment either." The smile faded. "Promise me, Daniel. Promise me you'll never lie to me like that."

"I promise, Sam. I promise with all my heart." He pulled her into a tight embrace that was returned full measure.

* * *

"Dear Daniel, 

"Well, I have to admit your little speech about my career in relation to my son has given me a new outlook I only recently realized I had taken to heart. I've found myself doing what I'm doing for Charlie, to make the world a better place in which he can grow up. That mindset is actually quite liberating, even if I find myself outraged more often than I'd like at the atrocities I've witnessed. And before you say anything, it's not that I'm getting outraged per se, it's that those emotions are coming out while I'm working. Calm, cool, and collected is the best way to make sure you come home in one piece, and I have a lot waiting for me at home.

"Apparently, my actions over this last month pushed me over the edge in regards to my superiors, and they decided to let me know. Now, before you panic thinking I'm in big trouble, breathe. It's nothing like that. I've just traded my bars for oak leaves. Yes, that's right. I'm now Major Jack O'Neill. Sara gushed about it when I called her with the news, although she wasn't the happiest when I couldn't tell just what I did to earn the promotion.

"The whole secrecy thing is hard on her. She's admitted it before, but always says she knew what she was signing on for when she encouraged me to go into Special Ops in the first place. I've made a point of telling her the truth about everything else; she doesn't need to live in a world of lies, and neither does my son. Even when it comes to missions and such, I don't lie exactly. I just tell her I can't tell her. But I know that she'd prefer I told her everything. She really believes that a marriage works best when both parties are completely open. I'm guessing that she didn't think my work would affect her as much as it has. We haven't really talked about it in depth.

"I'm glad you had a good time overall in Colorado Springs. Be sure to pass on my congratulations to Sam, and tell her she owes me a salute. I will say this though. If that brother of hers ever crosses my path, he may not like the results.

"Anyway, I suppose I should wrap this up. Take it easy this summer. Have fun. And I mean real fun. You're going to need something to fortify you when you start working on that archaeology doctorate in the fall. And whatever you do, stay safe.

"Your friend,

"Jack"


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

* * *

Sam took a deep breath and smiled as she sat on a bench in the park across from her apartment building in Palo Alto. It was the park on top of the close proximity to the Stanford campus that had led her to this particular choice of housing. And now she sat back and enjoyed the scent of approaching autumn. 

The blonde lieutenant didn't have to worry about ROTC that weekend, a positive point in Sam's book for more than one reason. First, and most obvious, was that she had that much more free time. There was a paper she needed to write for her graduate level astrophysics class she had been looking forward to making a significant dent in. Second, she was hoping to give Daniel a call that night. They'd exchanged letters of course, but it had been a while since they'd been able to actually have a conversation. Third, she didn't have to deal with First Lieutenant Allison Schneider. The woman taught one of the ROTC classes - Sam was only an assistant - and ever since the beginning of the semester a little over a month before had given the impression that she only had the position she did because her father was a brigadier general stationed in Vermont. She certainly threw daddy's name around often enough. Between that and the coy batting of her long dark eyelashes over her dark green eyes and flipping back her shoulder-length light brown hair, it was obvious how Allison was planning on making her way through the ranks.

Sam frowned at the thought. That was exactly the opposite of her attitude, and she hated it when someone made it that much easier to believe that she would do such a thing to further her career. Samantha Carter had no intentions of riding Jacob Carter's coattails through the Air Force, and certainly wouldn't be using her looks or her body to make a good impression either. She was strong enough and intelligent enough to make her own mark in what she knew was a man's world. And she had every intention of doing so. She'd even gone so far as to come out and ask her father not to pull strings on her behalf. Jacob had compromised by saying he wouldn't unless it was absolutely necessary.

The woman could no longer sit still on the park bench. Sam practically threw herself to her feet and began to walk along the paths that wandered in and around the trees. This was all something she hadn't shared with Daniel. She didn't want him to worry over something so trivial. This was just something that happened in the military when you were a woman with a high-ranking relative. She could deal with it. Besides, she didn't want Daniel to think badly of her, to even have the seed that she could possibly act that way. She still thought she had gotten off light after the debacle in the park in El Segundo - well, actually it had felt pretty good, but the _idea_ of it was oh so wrong. She still wasn't convinced that she hadn't proven herself capable of the things Allison Schneider was pulling. And the last thing she wanted was to reinforce her previous behavior.

"Yeah, you know, she's one of the ones who runs the Air Force ROTC over at San Juan University," a male voice up ahead interrupted Sam's thoughts.

"Okay, I know who you mean. Yeah, she's definitely a 'daddy's girl' all right," another male voice responded. Sam's brows furrowed as she stopped in her tracks.

The first man laughed. "And now it looks like she's looking for a new 'daddy' by all accounts. I mean, the way she buddies up with the guys, so willing to 'help' if you know what I mean."

"Has she 'helped' you?"

"Not yet," the original speaker said with a definite leer in his tone. "I don't think it'll be too long before she offers though. I'm on the fast track to a promotion as soon as I graduate in the spring." He paused for a moment. "Maybe I should mention that next weekend," he mused.

Man number two chuckled. "On your way to being a general like her daddy, I see."

"Like I'll let anything stop me. And if I snuggle up to her long enough, I can have her daddy influence my career, too. How else do you think she got to come straight here after graduating from the academy instead of waiting for the usual three years of duty?"

Sam blinked. She had been sure they were talking about Allison, but the other woman hadn't graduated from the academy. She'd gone through ROTC at college somewhere out east. So who _were_ they talking about? She bit her lower lip as a sneaking suspicion began to grow.

"You don't think any 'late night sessions' with her instructors had anything to do with it, do you?" guy two asked, a smirk more than apparent in his voice.

"Maybe, maybe not," was the response. "I'll just have to ask about some 'late night sessions' of my own to find out. Hey, I can find out just how much of a natural blonde she is!" The two of them laughed.

Sam went pale at the last comment, even as the two men realized they were going to be late meeting a friend of theirs for lunch and took off. She was the only blonde female instructor involved with the San Juan ROTC. They weren't talking about Allison - they were talking about _her_. They really thought she was like that.

How had they gotten such an idea? She'd never made any advances on any of the students. Not only was it against regulations, it was just _wrong_ on so many levels. Sure, she'd been friendly; that was her natural personality, or at least she liked to think so. But was that enough to make those guys think she either slept her way here or pulled the right strings? Didn't they know that the top percentage of each class from the academy had the option of going straight on to graduate school?

Apparently not. And with that realization, Sam sighed, her shoulders drooping. It seemed she couldn't keep people from thinking the worst of her no matter what she did or didn't do. There was a tiny part of her mind that acknowledged that a lot of what she'd just overheard was male bravado in overdrive, but the majority of her mind ignored that point. Sam was a bit busy drawing correlations to El Segundo, which meant she had cut herself off from her main source of comfort - Daniel.

After a few moments of mental self-flagellation, Sam drew a deep breath and let her resolve firm. She'd show jerks like that. She'd scrape and claw her way through the ranks, relying only on herself to do so. And what she needed to do now to further that cause was go back to her apartment and work on that paper. She'd take a short break that evening for dinner and a quick call to Daniel - her emotions completely under control like they should be - then get right back to it. She'd _prove_ she was better than that, than the bimbos like Allison Schneider who gave women in the military a bad name.

Her eyes a hard, icy blue and her posture stiff, Sam marched back to her apartment to do just that.

* * *

_I swear, some professors live in a world entirely of their own making_, Daniel thought one Wednesday night toward the end of September as he stumbled toward the door of his apartment from the elevator. He was working as a teachers assistant that semester for one of his anthropology professors, and the man had kept him in his office for three and a half hours talking about what had happened that day - which was pretty much nothing. Daniel was now tired and hungry and hours behind on three essays he needed to get written for the next day's classes. He hated last minute assignments like that, but such was the price to be paid when trying to achieve a bachelors degree while beginning graduate work toward a doctorate at the same time. 

A loud sigh filled the empty hallway as the twenty-year-old fumbled for his keys. He could hear Jack's admonishments about not working too hard echoing in his head. The last letter he'd gotten from the Air Force major, in fact, had gone on for half a page about the subject. Daniel shook his head. And all because of his new job. There was a chance he was going to be able to join a dig in Egypt the next coming summer, and supplies didn't pay for themselves, no matter that he'd managed to get a couple grants and scholarships to pay for graduate school. Jack just couldn't seem to get that.

Daniel threw open the door with one hand, immediately reaching in with the other to turn on the overhead light. Sparks flashed for a moment, but nothing else happened. "Great," the young man muttered, heading over to the large curtain-covered window on the other side of the living room that gave a surprisingly attractive overview of the city. "Guess there's a benefit to a full moon tonight after all."

He was surprised to trip over some things on the floor he didn't remember leaving there, but his eyes were still adjusting to the dark so he couldn't say for sure that anything was out of place. Somehow surviving the trek, he yanked open the shades and turned back around to toss his backpack on the couch. At the sight of the living room and kitchenette, Daniel froze. His jaw clenched and his hands curled into fists. _Not again_.

The space was trashed. The lack of light from above was due to the cracked glass shade barely left hanging onto one of its supports and the light bulb underneath being smashed, the tiny wires twitching like an insect's antennae from the attempt to turn it on just moments before. The cushions of the couch and chair had been slashed open with a knife and the stuffing spread to the four winds. The small coffee table that had been in front of the sofa was now resting in two pieces on the floor to either side of the window Daniel stood in front of. The actual couch was on its back, one leg broken completely off and another dangling from the upper left hand corner, while the chair had been flipped over entirely, only one leg to be seen still attached and the springs poking out of what should have been the bottom of the seat. The two floor lamps he'd picked up at the thrift shop down the street were in multiple pieces strewn about with the rest of the furniture, and the end table at the far end of the couch that his telephone had rested on looked like a squashed spider, its center stomped to the floor making the legs jut out like the spokes of a wheel.

A glance at the kitchenette showed it hadn't been spared. Pots and pans had been thrown about randomly, the faucet had been torn off the sink - Daniel could only be glad the water had been turned off that morning because the pipes in the bathroom needed fixing - and all his dishes appeared to be shattered and mixed in with everything else. What food he'd had in the refrigerator had been smeared over the counters, walls, and appliances, creating quite an eerie effect in the bright moonlight.

Lastly he looked at his desk and bookshelves. They looked like someone had gone at them with a machete. Books and papers were tattered, torn, and tossed about with abandon. What few pieces of artwork he'd had were slashed, most likely with the same knife that had gone after his furniture. And in huge, sprawling letters, drawn with bright orange paint over the walls and anything that was directly on or in front of them, was the word "geek" as well as the Greek symbols of one of the fraternities on campus.

Daniel took a deep breath and slowly released it. With it went his furious stance, leaving behind only frustrated resignation. He shifted his backpack more securely onto his back and carefully stepped into his bedroom. Ignoring the disaster area it had been made into, the student threw what clothes hadn't been shredded into his duffle bag, which had miraculously made it out unscathed. He gave a rueful half-smirk. It had been a graduation gift from Jacob Carter when he'd gotten his two bachelors degrees and had an embroidered Air Force logo on the side. Apparently the vandals had a bit of respect for the military. Might explain why his bed had been left alone. The duffle had been under it.

A quick check of his wallet confirmed he had enough cash. Daniel then slung the duffle over a shoulder, readjusted his backpack, and walked out the door, locking it behind him.

An hour later, he sat at the table in his hotel room, books and notes spread over the surface, and not a single word written on the pad of paper in front of him. His chin rested in his hand, and his eyes gazed out the window unseeing. This was the sixth time this kind of thing had happened since he'd started at the University of Chicago. The first two times he'd called the police, but nothing was ever really done about it. In fact, he'd gotten teased more than normal when a few people had seen the small write-up in the papers. He hadn't bothered since. He just cleaned up the mess, replaced what needed to be replaced, and made sure that anything truly valuable to him was either in storage or on his person at all times. He may have gotten bugged about carrying his backpack wherever he went, but it beat taking the chance that something irreplaceable would end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Everything else was only stuff. You could replace stuff.

He had never written either Jack or Sam about the incidences. He didn't want his friends to worry about him. He'd never been in the apartment when the vandalism had taken place - and didn't think he ever would be, since he'd then be able to identify someone to the police - and all in all he figured this was something he should take care of on his own. With Sam in Colorado - well, California now - and Jack pretty much anywhere _but_ Chicago and with a family to care for, Daniel knew they couldn't come running whenever something went a little... haywire in his life. And it wouldn't be fair to expect them to, not that he ever did. He was sure bad things happened to both of them that he didn't know about. That's just the way things worked.

Daniel had promised himself long ago that he would take care of himself. Dealing with the people who did these things, however he saw fit, was one way he'd prove he could. He had a feeling he knew who'd pulled this latest stunt. He'd been the one who handed back the last essay test his anthropology professor had given, and the five members of the fraternity whose symbols had been blazoned across his walls failed miserably. He never got any respect from them in the first place when he ran the occasional class, so it wasn't too much of a stretch to see them blaming him for their grades and acting out accordingly.

The young man squeezed his eyes shut for a moment then reopened them with a new sense of purpose. It was time to stop feeling sorry for himself. He'd dealt with ignorant bullies too many times to count in the past, and it was no different now. He'd finish his essays, call his landlord in the morning before classes and tell him Saturday afternoon would work better after all to fix the pipes, and use his usual clear schedule on Friday to clean his apartment. After that, it would be like nothing ever happened. He wouldn't give any of the bullies out there the satisfaction of anything less.

* * *

Jack stared from his hiding place in the surrounding woods after sunset one evening at the end of September as the house he and his team had returned to slowly succumbed to the flames that licked up the outer walls and played along the roof. They'd had orders to arrange the retrieval of the double agent they had planted false information on not four hours ago after receiving a warning that a local underground militia group was going to kill him for selling out one of their top members to the government agents in the area known to report directly to Moscow as well as Bucharest. It was the same reason Jack and his team had been assigned _their_ mission, however the Americans had been under orders to have no contact with their target, leave no trace of their presence, and above all, arrange for the capture of the target _alive_. 

The Air Force major had been less than happy with the orders. After three-quarters of an hour filled with raised voices and any number of repetitions of "with all due respect, sir" Jack gave in to the inevitable and did as he was told, his objection duly noted. This was a man that had double crossed a British agent by not delivering vital information, leading to an Interpol operative and fifteen innocent women and children being killed when a lack of back-up resulted in a terrorist bomb not being found and defused. On another occasion, the false information the man passed on led to five local contacts in five separate locations in Poland being caught by the KGB and tortured to death. Three broke during the interrogations, and any number of operations were forced to be scrapped just in time to avoid public exposure. Who knew how many innocent lives were lost by those missions not being completed? And the good ol' US of A wanted him publically discovered and disgraced by the local authorities, so that he could be quietly "lost in transit" somewhere along the way and brought to them, while still appearing to have satisfied the public's need to see "justice" done.

_The militia's just giving him what he deserves_, Jack thought as he continued to watch the house burn. _The world will be a better place without him in it. _Charlie _will be better off never having to worry about the kind of threat to his safety this guy represents_.

"Major," one of his team whispered softly from behind him, "shouldn't we go back and report this to headquarters?"

"Not yet," Jack replied. "We need to be sure. The last thing we need is Grigorescu to slip away in the chaos."

The younger man shifted nervously, the buttons of his worn vest rubbing against his weapon. All six men were dressed in local attire and armed with Russian AK-47's so they could pass as militia members if they were spotted. "We're not supposed to make contact."

Jack shot him a quick glance over his shoulder that stilled the anxious movement. "I'm well aware of that, Captain. I have no intention of making contact. I'm making sure our target doesn't escape."

"Yes, sir."

It wasn't much longer before a figure silhouetted by the burning building behind it crept away toward the woods. Jack narrowed his eyes as he contemplated the unknown person. "Gibson, are any militia members near where our little friend is heading?"

The youngest member of the team considered it for a brief moment. "No, sir, and they won't be until he's past."

A shower of sparks flared up as a section of roof collapsed inward, throwing out enough light to illuminate the face of their suspect. "Grigorescu," Jack breathed. His eyes went dark and emotionless as he brought up his rifle and aimed it carefully. In one fluid motion the trigger was pulled and the man dropped in the middle of the yard. Luckily Grigorescu's men had been milling around in the middle of an escape from the fire, caught up in loud confrontations with the militia members that had tried to surround the place to make sure their work was done. It was unlikely Jack's single shot was distinguishable from anyone else's. Nevertheless, Jack immediately gestured for his team to retreat.

"Major, he was supposed to be captured alive," the team's 2IC breathed, shocked, as the six Americans slipped through the woods.

"He was about to escape, Tucker. That would have been unacceptable." Jack gritted his teeth as a brief pang of regret for having taken a life flashed through him like it usually did. It was quickly followed by the consideration of all the deaths of innocents the man had been responsible for, and he knew that he'd never have a recurrence of that pang in regards to this kill ever again.

"But... our orders..."

Jack sighed and hoped he could find enough patience for the newest member of his team. "Captain, I used a local weapon. When the local authorities find his body they'll assume the militia took care of him. The false evidence we planted just went poof with the rest of the house, and nobody on either side saw us. No one will know any member of the American military was anywhere near here. Things just needed to adapt to the change in circumstances, that's all. Now, you need to be quiet so we can make this mission a complete success." One hard glare emphasized his last point, and there was no more protest, although Jack could see Tucker wasn't happy about it.

That was fine. He'd come to understand Jack had done what was necessary. There was one less traitor mucking up the works, and the world was that much safer for Sara and Daniel, his parents and siblings, and most importantly his son. He'd do anything to insure a safer place for his son. And with that realization, Jack decided to think a little more seriously about the offer he'd been discreetly presented with earlier that week. A little more specialized training; darker, more dangerous missions... but more impact on the bastards doing the "evil" Daniel had described during his pep talk after Charlie was born. Yes, more consideration was definitely in order.

* * *

The seasons moved on as they always did, and the next May Daniel stood in the large auditorium after the graduation ceremony watching the other graduates mill around, mingling with staff and guests. For the first time, no one had been in the audience to see his achievement, his bachelors degree in anthropology. Jack's mother had moved to New York City with her boyfriend/agent to try to tap into a larger market and was doing quite well. Jack's brother Chris had gone to Paris to attend a prestigious art school, and had since met a young lady he was working up the courage to propose to according to Jack. Daniel sighed as he saw Charlotte Lynch talking with a professor. His ex-girlfriend was the only person he'd been close enough to at the university that year to expect to come, although she was there because of her own degree. Their break-up two months previously hadn't been a bad one, but they weren't on the friendliest of terms either. He knew that if she hadn't been graduating herself she wouldn't be there at all. 

That thought led to Daniel reaching inside his gown for the three letters he had tucked into the back pocket of his dress slacks. Nodding with a small smile to some of the faculty he knew, the light brown-haired man slipped into a far corner to re-read his well-wishes.

"Dear Daniel,

"Just thought I'd drop you a quick line to say congratulations on an amazing third bachelors degree. I won't be able to be there; I'm caught up in something here at Langley and can't get away. I'll be there in spirit though, cheering for you like you deserve. And because every graduate deserves a present, you'll find one in the package that came along with this letter. Hope you like it. Sam said you were heading for Egypt as part of an archaeological dig - another huge congratulations for that by the way - and I figured you might like to listen to music on the way and in the field. I've been assured by those younger than me that the Walkman is the top of the line and of the highest quality.

"I really do wish I could be there, Daniel. So let me say it again: congratulations. I hope you have a terrific day and a wonderful time this summer in Egypt.

"Sincerely,

"Jacob Carter"

Daniel had to smile. He'd last seen Jacob a year before at Sam's graduation from the Air Force Academy. And ever since they'd all lived in El Segundo, usually through Sam but occasionally directly from the man himself, Daniel would receive small gifts for Christmas, his birthday, and other special occasions such as graduations. They were always accompanied by a short note of praise and a reminder he was being thought of. Daniel appreciated each and every one of them. He shook his head and moved on to the next letter.

"Dear Daniel,

"You know, I was so excited. For once I was going to be able to make it for one of your college graduations, to be there like you were for me at the Academy. But you're not going to believe this. I know it's been a while since I wrote, but I was caught up in an official investigation that's leading up to a court martial.

"Not for me! I just realized how that must have sounded!

"Anyway, you remember the woman I'm an assistant to for ROTC classes at San Juan? Well, Allison was beaten and raped by an ex-boyfriend of hers after she broke it off with him. Seems he didn't care for being dumped instead of the one doing the dumping. I couldn't help but overhear some of their arguments in her office on campus, so I've been summoned as a witness. And of course the trial is taking place the week of your graduation.

"I'm not looking forward to this, Daniel. This is the kind of thing that strikes a chord with every woman in existence, tapping into a primal fear. I can't help but imagine myself in Allison's place. The thought scares me half to death. But I'll be okay; I don't want you to worry.

"Semester-end finals and papers are driving me crazy. I don't know how you managed to pull off two masters degrees at the same time on top of holding down a part-time job. Just one is enough for me. Although I wouldn't mind going for that second one, I don't know what for. But it would definitely be after I finish this one. And I think my mind will need a small break, too. Makes me glad my hair's short. As you know, I used to chew on it when I was trying to work out a particularly difficult problem. I'd have nothing but split ends by this point.

"Enough about school work. I was planning on spending a week in Chicago with you to make up for missing your graduation, but then I remembered you were going to Egypt for the summer. Congratulations again! I think that is so cool that you get to be so active in your chosen field even before you get your doctorate. What an internship! I hope I get to do something as cool for mine, although I am dealing with the Air Force, so my chances are pretty good. Look out NASA, here I come!

"Will I be able to write you while you're away? If so, send me the address. I'll make sure you remember that there are people back home who can't wait for you to get back. We'll have to compare next year's schedules - maybe we can do something for spring break! I would love to go on vacation with you. Let me know what you think of the idea; we can put our heads together and think of something totally out of the ordinary. Maybe somewhere in Europe?

"Oh, I suppose I should wrap this thing up. My papers aren't going to write themselves. (Wouldn't that be great? Talk about a ghost writer...) Be sure to call me before you go, and when you get to Cairo if you can. I'm looking forward to it. Talk to you soon!

"Friends Forever,

"Sam"

Daniel sighed and closed his eyes at the reminder of the reason Sam wasn't there. He'd called her as soon as he finished the letter and found out she'd meant what she said: she was fine, just a little shaken up by the events. She wasn't looking forward to being called to the stand, but would do her duty, "as an officer _and_ as a woman" she'd said proudly. Daniel had a feeling there was something more behind the statement, but didn't want to push. It was just nice to hear her voice. They hadn't talked on the phone since Christmas, and there had been another five quiet months before that. The young man shifted in his seat and opened his last letter.

"Dear Daniel,

"This is probably going to seem rushed, but I don't have a lot of time at the moment for much of anything. I'm in the middle of some more specialized training - sorry, can't go into more detail than that; at least you won't ask any more questions - and I don't get a lot of personal time. But I knew I needed to write to you before you got worried.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to make it to your graduation next month. My training finishes up in a little over a week, and I'm going to be assigned to a new team that has an overseas mission pretty much as soon as they sign me off. I'll be gone for a month and a half, two months. Thus, my inability to be in Chicago.

"I'm proud of you, though. I want you to know that. For getting yet another bachelors degree (don't you have enough of those yet?) and for getting picked for that dig in Egypt. It must seem like you're going home. I hope you get to remember all the good things you had to leave behind, Daniel. I still remember you telling me about what it was like in the desert while you gave me the tour of the museum in Minneapolis. You gave me all these warnings like I was heading off for the sands of the Sahara the next day or something. I've found them useful more recently, but at the time it was just cute watching this six-year-old spout out all this serious adult stuff. And then you asked me all those questions about America, about stuff I'd always taken for granted before. It was just too cute.

"I think I'll cut off the mushy stuff before we both overdose. That, and I'm sure you could use the time to recover from the blush I'm sure you're sporting right now. I really liked the picture you drew of Sara and me with little baby Charlie that you sent for his birthday. So did Sara. We had it matted and framed then hung it in the living room above the television. Charlie really liked the blanket you sent along for him. Is it really a reproduction of something some pharaoh's kid snuggled up with thousands of years ago? That is incredibly neat.

"The kid's getting to be quite a talker - Sara says he takes after me that way. I have to wonder how he's going to take the move. Oh, that's right, I haven't told you about that yet. When I get back from the mission with my new team, I'm going to be restationed at Peterson. That means that Sara gets to move back home to Colorado Springs, where most of her family is. I guess I can handle living close to the in-laws, at least when I'm actually home. Sara and I have had a few fights about the subject, but in the end she knows how important my job is, and how important it is to me. Charlie knows who his daddy is, and I spend as much time with him and Sara as I can when I'm home. Somewhere down the road I'll ease back, I know I will, and then I'll be all theirs. She just has to wait.

"That's enough with the griping. I've got lights out in about five minutes so I'd better finish this up. You be careful in Egypt; that part of the world is just waiting to go up in flames right now. You better realize that I'm going to be twitchy any time I hear about some American getting hurt, captured, or killed over there. Your job is going to be to dig in the sand or whatever else it is you'll be doing then come home in one piece. I mean it. No exceptions. Please, Daniel, stay safe, and let me know when you get home. Good luck.

"Your friend,

"Jack"

Jack was right; the upcoming trip to Egypt would be filled with childhood memories. Daniel was looking forward to spending time in the place where the majority of the events of his early years had happened. Add to that he would be doing the same kind of work as his parents had, and he was practically in seventh heaven. A part of him knew he could never recapture what he'd had, but he'd enjoy the visit very much.

Reading the letters again had the intended effect of making him feel like the people that mattered most to him were with him, at least in spirit, just like Jacob had said. He was still a bit disappointed they couldn't be there, but they cared enough to wish him well. Daniel glanced up at that point as he returned Jack's letter to its envelope and saw Charlotte looking in his direction. She was standing amidst a group of women, a pair of them her sisters if the facial resemblance was anything to go by, and the rest friends of hers Daniel had met during the three months they'd dated. One of the friends, a co-worker at the library where the graduate student had met Charlotte, tried to discreetly gesture in his direction as she said something, a sly smile on her face. Whatever it was must have been amazingly funny, as the whole group started to laugh, Daniel's ex-girlfriend the loudest of all.

What struck Daniel the hardest, however, were the haughty, disdaining looks the comment seemed to inspire the group to shoot in his direction. Ah. They were laughing at _him_. And Charlotte was laughing the most of all. Apparently things were worse between them than he'd thought. An emotionless mask fell over Daniel's features at that point, and he tucked the letters back in his back pocket. Tucking his cap under his arm, the silently hurting young man walked quietly and deliberately out of the auditorium, his stride firm, his back stiff, and his eyes resolutely avoiding the source of his humiliation. Whatever warmth he'd gotten from his friends' correspondence was gone, and he felt more alone and out of place than ever.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

* * *

Sam sat in her blissfully air conditioned apartment and glanced at the calendar. It was July eighth, and she couldn't call Daniel to wish him a happy birthday. She pouted. It was that fact that had taken her to a nearby travel agent to demand a travel brochure for every European and North African country they sponsored trips to. She gotten some very strange looks at that. 

Once she'd hauled her backpack full of booklets home, Sam ensconced herself in her worn but incredibly comfortable armchair and proceeded to go through them. She was hoping to have any number of ideas of where she and Daniel could go over spring break the next year, since her friend was eager to go. He called the night before he left for Egypt to talk about it. Once they'd determined they indeed had break at the same time, there was no question that they'd be going somewhere. They didn't have enough facts to come to a decision at that point, but promised to discuss it some more once he got back. It made Sam all the more sad to say goodbye.

"So I'll have things narrowed down for him, and I sent my well-wishes in a letter a couple weeks ago. It'll be fine." Sam's pout deepened at the hollow echo her lone voice made in her singularly-occupied apartment. "It'll be fine," she repeated, then resolutely turned her back on the calendar and grabbed the next brochure off the pile to the right of her chair.

About ten minutes later she frowned at the pages and dismissively tossed it over her shoulder to land on a handful of others that had been similarly manhandled. The next one from the right-hand pile had quickly taken its place before her. Soon it too was flying through the air to land in a mangled heap. "None of these are good enough!" Sam fumed.

She bit the inside of her cheek to help her keep her temper, then grabbed the next brochure. She forced herself to read the whole thing then really consider the pros and cons of the destination. It was a surprise when she realized that the place just might work. "Well, what do you know?" Sam asked with a smile as she set the brochure into a new pile carefully.

The rest of the search went much more smoothly after that. When she finished Sam was confident that she had a manageable list of choices for her to go through with Daniel, and that he would be more than pleased with the selection. She fell asleep that night and dreamed of the fun she'd have in some Mediterranean paradise with her best friend by her side.

* * *

Daniel was in the middle of an inventory double-check when his name being called drew him out of the tent he'd been working in. He shaded his eyes with his hand in time to make out a lithe young woman running toward him waving a pair of envelopes in her hand and grinning widely. He couldn't help but chuckle when she skidded to a halt in front of him. "I take it those are for me?" he asked lightly. 

"That would be why I called for you, yes," she replied impishly. "Just got back from town and figured you'd want these. But since I wasn't sure what tent you were in, I decided to make a general announcement."

"So now everyone knows I have mail."

"Weren't you listening? Everybody knows _everybody_ who got mail. I was shouting out for the whole stack." The young woman gave him an amused quirk of the lips.

Daniel shrugged, a touch embarrassed he'd missed that. "Well, I do have a tendency to get caught up in my work," he explained.

She laughed. "That's more than obvious. Now let's go inside. The sun's especially brutal today." The girl turned him around and pushed him into the tent he'd just left, following directly behind. "Ah. Much better." She took off her sunglasses, revealing a pair of sparkling emerald green eyes. She gestured toward the letters Daniel still held. "So who are they from?"

The young man had been startled by the whole maneuver so it took a moment to respond. "Oh, um, my two best friends, Jack and Sam. I sent them the address they could reach me at with the first package out."

"That's great! It's good to see they're keeping in contact."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but... who are you?"

The young woman blinked. "I guess I'm not as famous around here as I thought I was. My name's Mel Severin." She thrust out a hand.

Daniel shook it, bemused. "Mel?" he asked.

"Fine," Mel said with a blustery sigh. "If you want to be official about it, the name's Melisande Severin. But you can call me Mel. In fact, I'd prefer it."

The man whose light brown hair had been sun-bleached back to a younger-years dark blond couldn't help but give another chuckle. "Family's French, huh?"

The woman drew herself up to her full five foot seven inch height and tossed her long brown ponytail back over her shoulder. "Oui, oui, monsieur. How could you tell?"

The outrageous French accent drew a full-blown laugh from the normally-quiet young man. "That's awful!" He sighed as he calmed down. "Why are you here? I haven't seen you with the archaeological team."

"That would be because I'm finishing up my internship for my masters in geology. I've been studying the different strata in the excavations. It helps you guys out while earning me the credits I need. I've always wanted to study abroad." Her grin was back.

"That's great," Daniel said sincerely. "I'm using this experience to help me with my doctoral thesis in archaeology. I should have that at the end of this next fall semester."

"University of Chicago?" Mel asked hopefully.

Daniel nodded. "I spent my freshman year at UCLA then transferred."

The young woman's eyebrows rose. "Interesting." She considered him for a long moment. "You know, I was hoping to find an excuse to talk to you since you got here a month ago."

"You have?" Daniel blinked in utter amazement.

"Oh yeah. You're a bit on the lean side, but you're still the best looking guy I've seen all year. And since you're with the summer graduate group, I knew there had to be some brains to go along with that body." She smiled with mock shyness. "A girl's gotta have standards, you know."

"You think I'm attractive?"

Mel laughed. "Have you looked in a mirror lately? Yes, I think you're attractive." She laughed again when she noticed a bright blush forming on his cheeks. "That is so cute!" A watch alarm started going off, making Mel scowl as she pressed the right buttons on her digital watch to turn it off. "Crap. I have to get back to the dig site. Do you think we can maybe have dinner together? Get to know one another better?"

Daniel blinked. "Um, sure, that would be fine."

The lean brunette drew herself to her full height once again. "Then goodbye until we meet again this evening," she said using the same French accent she had earlier. Then she took his head in her hands, lightly kissed both cheeks, and finished with a slightly longer one on his lips. "See you later, Daniel," she said softly, a real shy smile and lightly pink cheeks transforming her expression as she left the tent.

"Bye," Daniel whispered long after she was gone. He smiled as he remembered the flash of anxiety in the bright green eyes as she'd drawn away. He had a feeling she was worried she'd gone too far. The smile grew wider. No one had ever shown an interest in him before. And Mel was unlike anyone he'd ever met. This could prove to be quite interesting.

* * *

Jack knew Sara was watching as he took the sixteen-month-old Charlie out to the sandbox in the back yard one afternoon in August. The more in-depth training he'd received when he'd accepted the proposal to join Black Ops had honed his senses considerably. He wished he could have told his wife about the change, but it was classified. 

Pushing the thought out of his mind, he focused on his son. "Hey, Charlie! Look at all this sand! Has Mommy let you play out here a lot this summer?" The toddler smiled widely and babbled what was mostly a string of nonsense, a few words here and there understandable. "That's what I thought." Jack reached for the small bucket of water he'd brought with them and poured some of it on a patch of sand between them. "Do you want to see where Uncle Daniel is right now?"

Charlie clapped and Jack laughed. "Right. Here we go then." The young father spent the next fifteen minutes constructing a passable reproduction of the Giza plateau while his son made all sorts of odd shapes and splattered them both with wet sand and leftover water.

"Hey, Charlie," Jack whispered once he was finished. The little boy looked at him with wide eyes at the tone. "These are the pyramids, just like in Egypt. Your uncle Daniel isn't quite there, but he's a ways over here." He swooped his hand around, keeping the child's attention, and flopped it onto the sand about a foot or so to the left of the sand structures. "I betcha right now he's digging in the dirt," he took his first two fingers and quickly dug a little hole in the sand, "just like we are. Do you like the idea of digging in the dirt like Uncle Daniel?"

"Danel!" Charlie cried with a giggle, clapping his delight.

"You know, Daniel got you that blanket you like so much," Jack said as he shifted them both to the opposite corner and watched Charlie begin to dig again. "One day when you're older you'll have to thank him for that." He smiled when the little blond looked up at him with a huge grin. "Yeah, I know you will. Now, do want to see some other stuff Daddy's seen in the desert?"

Charlie giggled his assent. With one last look at the creation he'd made, Jack proceeded to build lots of different things with wet sand, thoroughly enjoying the time with his little boy.

* * *

Sam gazed around the auditorium she sat in, her blue-grey eyes wide as she suppressed her excitement at finally making it. Nothing could have held back the grin that brightened her features, however. This wasn't just a Christmas present for Daniel, it was for herself as well. 

She was hoping that Jack had been able to be there as well, but Daniel's last letter had said the Special Ops soldier wasn't confident he could do so. The young woman hoped he'd be able to make it home to spend the holidays with his family at the very least. It would be Charlie's second Christmas, she thought. A father should be around for that. She flinched at that thought. It appeared she had some leftover bitterness about her own father's absences, although she'd more than forgiven him. She was looking forward to spending that particular year's holidays with the man as a matter of fact, as soon as she called him on Monday and found out where exactly he'd be. Jacob had said something about a project he might be out of town for, but that she'd be welcome to join him.

The house lights dimmed, and the mid-year graduation ceremony began. There was a decent group of bachelor degree recipients, followed by a shorter list of those receiving their masters degrees. The smallest group of all was those being awarded their doctorates, and Sam's eyes were for only one of them. Daniel walked calmly across the stage when his name was called, a serious expression on his face that only broke for a moment when a whoop rang out from someone from the crowd that had just gotten their masters.

_He looks good_, Sam thought critically. His time in Egypt had given him color, some of which still barely lingered even after four months back at school, as well as more muscle tone. He was really beginning to fill out, his broad shoulders finally starting to look they belonged to that frame. He'd grown into quite a man.

Apparently Sam wasn't the only one who thought so. After the ceremony was finished, the source of the shout ran across the stage and threw herself into Daniel's arms. He grunted with the effort of keeping them both upright, but he was smiling. This must be the girlfriend he'd met on the dig over the summer that Daniel had talked about in his letters. This was someone Sam needed to meet.

She walked up to the stage just in time to have a close, personal look at her best friend having the daylights kissed out of him by said girlfriend. Long, thin fingers on one hand ran through silky brown hair that hung to his earlobes while the other hand rubbed up and down his spine even as he held her in a close embrace, each circuit bringing her closer and closer to his rear end. A flash of memory gripped Sam as she experienced the sensation once again of how that body felt beneath her fingertips followed by an even smaller flash of jealousy. She got control of herself just in time to see Daniel jump back, startled. "Mel! Not in public!"

"But it's so tempting," the brunette protested, grinning unrepentantly.

Daniel sighed. "Just... not in public." He turned his head to look out at the milling crowd and saw Sam standing next to the stage. "Sam!" he cried joyfully. "You're here! I wasn't expecting you!" He jumped down and scooped the blonde into a fierce hug. "Oh, God, Sam, it's so good to see you."

Sam smiled and returned the squeeze. She couldn't have hoped for a better reception. "It's good to see you too, Daniel. Congratulations."

"Thanks. I'm glad I put off my anthropology masters to focus on my doctoral thesis. Things were a lot easier that way." He grinned.

"I bet. So are you going to start on that in the spring?"

"That's the idea. I've announced my intention to join a joint doctorate program combining my anthropology and linguistics as soon as I've got that masters. Doctor Jordan says I'll more than likely be accepted. I only have to write one paper that way."

Sam nodded. "That's even better. A good old two-for-one sale on doctorates. How can you go wrong?"

The sound of a throat being cleared came from behind them, reminding them of the presence of the brunette who was now sitting on the edge of the stage watching them with amusement, her green eyes sparkling. "I don't mean to interrupt your reunion, but I have to admit I was hoping for an introduction," she said mildly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mel. Sam, this is the girlfriend I told you about, Melisande Severin. Mel, this is one of my best friends, Samantha Carter."

"You have other girlfriends you didn't tell her about?" Mel asked impishly. She laughed at the look Daniel gave her and offered a hand to Sam. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Samantha. Daniel's told me a lot about you. And you can call me Mel."

Sam shook her hand. "It's a pleasure for me too, Mel. You can call me Sam. Daniel's mentioned you quite a bit in his letters."

Mel preened a bit. "Yes, good or bad, I'm always newsworthy. Talk about spice." The two women laughed.

"As entertaining as I'm sure this is for you," Daniel said, blushing, "how about we go somewhere and get something to eat?"

"I hope you weren't going to go without me," a man's voice asked from behind the trio, causing Sam and Daniel to spin around and face the source.

"Dad!" Sam cried. "What about your special project?"

Jacob grinned. "Worked out perfectly. You never suspected a thing." He looked at Daniel. "Congratulations, Danny. Or should I say, Doctor Jackson?"

Daniel chuckled. "That's weird to hear that in reference to me. But thank you, Jacob. I'm really glad you could be here."

The older man shrugged. "I missed the last two. I wasn't about to miss a third. Besides, this was for your doctorate. This is the big time."

"Before I need to be reminded again," Daniel said quickly, giving a shy glance to the brunette to his right, "let me introduce my girlfriend, Melisande Severin. Mel, this is Sam's father, General Jacob Carter."

"A pleasure to meet you, sir," Mel said respectfully, eyes a bit wide at actually meeting a general face to face. She offered her hand a touch tentatively.

Jacob accepted it with no hesitation. "Just as much a pleasure to meet you, Miss Severin. And congratulations to you, too. A masters degree in geology is pretty impressive."

Sam flinched. "Oh, that's right! I totally forgot about that. Congratulations, Mel."

To Daniel's amazement, Mel blushed. "Thank you, both of you," she said quietly. "I really appreciate it."

"Why don't we get going?" Daniel offered as he wrapped his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders. "There's a restaurant just off campus that has great authentic Thai."

"Shouldn't we wait for Mel's family?" Sam asked.

Mel smiled at her. "There's no one to wait for. We can go."

Sam blinked, now feeling like she had both feet in her mouth. "Sorry, I didn't know."

The brunette's expression turned sardonic. "I know. Not a lot of people do. But we should get going and brighten up this party. Daniel's right; that Thai restaurant is stupendous." Then she grinned, her mood returning to what it had been before. "Come on! And remember, think happy thoughts!" She began to march out of the auditorium, dragging a smiling Daniel behind her and leaving Sam and Jacob to follow laughing.

* * *

"You know, I love how your old furniture makes your apartment feel cozy," Sam said later that night after Daniel had insisted she stay with him instead of spending the money on a hotel room. "Mine just makes my place feel... used." 

"Oh, I don't know about that," Daniel replied, avoiding her eyes as he hung up their jackets on the coat rack by the front door. "I have to replace it every now and again. How can that help my place feel cozy?"

"You don't have to keep the same furniture all the time to feel cozy, Daniel. You just have to have the right furniture." She looked around the living room again. "And you have really good taste."

Daniel shrugged and gave her a half-smile. "Thanks. Did you want something to drink?" he asked as he headed for the refrigerator.

Sam watched him for a moment before answering. "Yeah, something clear if you've got it."

"Ginger ale it is." Daniel grabbed two cans and headed back to the couch.

"Daniel," Sam began after another pause filled with both of them opening their drinks, "are you sure Mel is okay with me staying here? I don't want to make any trouble for you."

The young man's brows furrowed. "Why would you think she'd have a problem? She knows you're one of my best friends."

The blonde woman shook her head. "I don't know, there was just something in her eyes when she told me to have a good time tonight. I don't know what it was, but..."

Daniel reached over and took her free hand. "Sam, she was joking, just like she'd been doing all night. Trust me, I've seen her get possessive before - that wasn't it."

"When was this?" Sam asked, deciding to put aside her worries.

"Right after Thanksgiving break. She talked me into going to a party one of her study partners was throwing. There was loud music, a table groaning with holiday leftovers from Judy and both her roommates, and enough alcohol to rival the Milwaukee breweries. People were talking and dancing, and Mel was showing me off - her words, not mine - to all her friends. Most of them were distantly friendly, having at least heard of me before. But not Erica."

Sam grinned as Daniel shuddered. "I take it Erica wasn't so distant."

Daniel looked her straight in the eye. "I could only wish. It seems she'd just transferred here at the start of the fall semester to go for her masters in geology. She joined Mel's study group as soon as she found out about it, but otherwise hadn't been too social. Pretty girl, slightly taller than you, and had long red hair and piercing grey eyes." He shuddered again. "They looked like they made you feel, like the sky during a winter storm."

Blonde brows rose. "If she had that kind of effect on people, how did she get invited to the party?"

"I think I was the only one who suffered that particular effect. Mel said she was quiet but personable in the study group." Daniel sighed. "I wish I could say it was because she'd been drinking, but as soon as Mel introduced me to her Erica stuck by my side, grabbing hold of my arm and touching me in various other places randomly whenever Mel was out of sight. I never saw Erica drink a drop of alcohol the entire time. Unfortunately, when I mentioned Erica was making me uncomfortable, Mel thought I was overreacting, since she hadn't seen any of the touching or heard the not-so-subtle come-ons. She was convinced that Erica was just being friendly, having found someone who would listen to some of her more radical theories without making fun of her."

"Radical theories?" Sam asked.

"If I remember right, it was something about finding proof that the cataclysm that caused the death of the dinosaurs was an alien attack from outer space. I think the weapon of choice was a natural-looking asteroid. The only reason I didn't say anything is that I was trying to ignore her and was absently nodding during the few pauses she'd take to breathe." The young man shrugged.

Sam snickered. "An alien attack from outer space? Are you serious?"

Daniel couldn't help but smile. "Deadly serious. She followed that up by saying it was at least fortunate that we now had weapons capable of redirecting such an attack if we could find a way to get them there in time, that is, if the aliens hadn't set things up so that doing that would make things worse."

Blonde eyebrows nearly disappeared into a matching hairline. "She goes UFO chasing, doesn't she?"

"I don't know, and I don't care."

"So when did she push things too far?"

Daniel's smile fell. "It was about eleven-thirty. I'd been staring at my watch hoping to be able to make the excuse that I couldn't stay out any longer because I had to work the next day, which I did, but not until late morning. Mel had gone to get me another soda. Erica moved in and suggested we dance because her favorite ballad had just started playing on the stereo. I turned her down gently, telling her I really didn't dance much and I wanted to make sure Mel could find me when she got back. Erica's smile got wicked at that point and said that was okay as she laid her open hand on my chest. She'd much rather spend the song kissing the most attractive guy in the room anyway."

Sam's jaw dropped. "She actually thought you'd kiss her? Are you _sure_ she hadn't been drinking?"

"Oh yeah. She only left my side two times to go to the bathroom and came back each time with an unopened soda in her hand. Like I said, not a drop of alcohol. Anyway, as she got closer I backed away and found myself literally cornered. I never realized how close to the back corner I'd become as I took a few steps here and there throughout the night to back away from Erica's previous attempts to get too cozy. That smile became positively evil and she snaked an arm around my waist and grabbed my..." Daniel blushed and pointed at the appropriate part of his anatomy.

"Jumped, did you?" Sam said sympathetically, even as she swallowed a laugh. She could see the humor, but the situation obviously still bothered her friend.

"Even closer to her," Daniel confirmed, disgust quite apparent in his expression. "But before Erica could make any more contact she was suddenly gone and Mel was in her place. Her eyes were as hard as emeralds as she stared at Erica with a deceptively pleasant smile, and I could see the slight tremor in her body as she struggled to control her outrage. All she said was, 'That's not how you get Daniel to respond, honey. You do it like this.' And she spun around, grabbed both sides of my face, and pulled me into one of the most intense kisses we've ever shared. I couldn't help but respond. For the rest of the time we were there, Mel refused to leave my side, glaring at every female that even accidentally brushed against me as they walked by."

Sam was silent for a moment, imagining Mel's solution. She gave herself a mental shake and refocused on the subject at hand. "I guess you're right. She wasn't acting possessive at all with me."

Daniel smiled. "My point exactly."

"So things are going well between you?"

"Pretty much. Mel's a very social person, and I'm just not. It's been something we've both had to adjust to. But other than that, things are fine." Daniel shrugged.

"What about school? I know you told Dad that you were excited about next semester, but what about the paper you just finished? You look tired." Sam met his gaze and gave him an encouraging look.

Daniel felt warm at her obvious display of concern. "I am. I've been doing some extra research since it's going to be relevant to the idea I have for my masters thesis, so it's almost like I haven't stopped working. But I want to finish this up by the summer, so the more work I do now the less pressure there will be come April and May." He smiled at her. "Don't worry, Sam. With you and your dad here for the holidays, it gives me the excuse to take a break. I'll be fine."

Sam tilted her head to the side. "Hasn't Mel gotten you to take a break?"

"She had her masters thesis to finish this semester on top of her job. She dragged me out to a few parties though. I just couldn't afford to slow down much, and Mel respected that."

"It's just that you look so tired, Daniel. I don't want to see you burn out."

"I won't, Sam. I promise. I've just got a couple more things I want to check out, then I'll put it aside until spring semester starts."

Sam sighed, recognizing the drive she knew her friend had always had and was mirrored in herself. "Okay, as long as I have your word that's how things will go once I'm gone."

Daniel looked at her seriously. "You have it, Sam. And I promised never to lie to you, remember?"

She nodded. "I do."

The brown-haired man suddenly smiled shyly. "It's nice to know you still want to watch out for me though. You always did it in high school. I missed it."

"You always did it in return. I miss it, too."

The two of them shared a long, warm embrace. "So what do you want me to do with that?" Daniel asked once they'd separated, gesturing toward the suitcase that rested by the front door.

Sam shrugged. "I'll just bring it over here by the couch to get it out of the way. Can I use your bathroom to change? It's getting kind of late, and I know Dad expects us to be at the hotel at ten o'clock sharp." She grinned. "You know the kind of grief he'll give us if we're late."

"Yes, yes, I do," Daniel agreed, quickly taking care of the luggage before Sam could. "Go ahead and use the bathroom." He gestured to the door to the left of the kitchenette. "I'll change while you do."

Once they both showered, changed, and took care of their other nightly rituals - Sam was surprised to come out of the bathroom to find the couch completely made up and ready for her, having won the battle to keep Daniel in his own bed - Daniel stood in his bedroom doorway and watched as Sam climbed under the comforter that normally adorned his mattress. "Are you absolutely sure..." he started to ask.

Sam gave him a look that cut him off. "Yes, Daniel, quite sure. The couch is fine. I'm not about to kick you out of your bed."

Daniel smiled. "I guess it's for the best. The couch is a more comfortable piece of furniture anyway."

"Go to bed, Daniel. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night, Sam." He closed his door behind him, and Sam turned off the lamp on the end table, leaving only the light from the streetlamps and the moon, muted by the drawn drapes, to fill the room as the two friends slipped into slumber.

* * *

Sam couldn't say how long she'd been asleep when a shuffling sound near the bookshelves woke her up. Blinking furiously to try to focus her eyes and see the intruder in Daniel's apartment, she gently rolled onto her side, hoping whoever it was would think she was just moving slightly in her sleep. When her ears told her the unknown person hadn't stopped looking through the volumes on the shelves between the couch and the desk, she dared to tip her head back and subtly scoot up on her pillow. There was only muted light from the streetlamps to see by, as the moon had obviously set since she'd gone to bed, but the silhouette that could be seen was definitely male... and incredibly familiar. 

When he took a book from a shelf and shuffled over to the desk, then followed the actions up by switching on the floor lamp in the corner, Sam was startled to see it was Daniel. His movements were sluggish and stuttering, and when he turned back toward the bookshelves apparently considering getting another book it became more than obvious he wasn't really awake. The blue eyes were only open a crack, and his breathing was still relatively deep and even. Sam was speechless. Daniel had mentioned he'd sleepwalked twice before, both times after extended periods of stress - like he'd just put himself through to finish his archaeology doctorate. He'd been found by his foster parents both times and dragged off to see a counselor, who said it wasn't a chronic condition, only brought on by - here Sam had to smile, however briefly - extended periods of stress.

Sam came back to the present to find Daniel had stuck with only the one book and was now sitting at the desk with a notebook in front of him and an unsharpened pencil in his hand. He opened the book to a random page, flipped to another random page, and started to write in spurts. Sam guessed on some level he was taking notes. He really _had_ been pushing himself too hard. And it was hard to watch the results.

Having read somewhere it wasn't wise to startle a sleepwalker awake - or was it they shouldn't be woken up at all? - Sam waited until Daniel took a long pause, his head starting to droop slightly, before she gently called his name. There was no reaction. Sam held off getting up for another long moment, then when Daniel didn't return to his notes silently moved over to the desk. A quick glance over his shoulder at his face revealed a small smile and his eyes aimed in the direction of the still-open book. She swallowed nervously and lightly laid her hands on his shoulders. "Daniel, you should really go back to bed. It's late," she said softly into his ear, beginning to knead the surprisingly stiff muscles beneath her fingers.

Daniel sighed and relaxed, letting his head fall back against Sam's stomach. She looked down to see his eyes were completely shut. Thinking he'd fallen back asleep, the blonde woman started to withdraw her hands, intending to turn the office chair around and somehow maneuver her friend back into bed, but was halted when Daniel's hand shot up and grabbed her right one. "Feels good," he murmured. "Don't stop."

"Okay," Sam replied, eyes wide as she went back to her massage. "But you should really go back to bed."

"You worry too much about me," Daniel said, rubbing his cheek against the hand he had let go. She jumped slightly when he kissed it.

"You don't worry enough," Sam shot back, trying to keep things normal.

"Maybe." He rose from the chair, causing Sam to take a step back out of surprise if nothing else, then closed the distance between them. "But that's what I have you for."

Sam barely registered Daniel's eyes were still only open the small crack they had been when he'd started this late-night study session before he took her in his arms and planted his lips over hers. She gasped in shock at the sudden intimacy, and Daniel instinctually took advantage of the situation by beginning a gentle exploration of the inside of her mouth with his tongue. Sam moaned and responded in kind, her arms wrapping around his waist. When she did, his hands started to roam, the left one cupping her lower right cheek to pull her even closer and the other making its way sensually toward her left breast. She couldn't remember when she'd felt as good as she did at that moment.

Daniel's lips moved from her mouth down her jawline as his right hand reached its goal, his long, nimble fingers kneading the soft flesh. Sam's breath caught and she let her head fall backwards and to the side to allow him greater access. He groaned as he licked the sensitive spot just behind her earlobe, his fingertips finding her nipple hard and responsive to the touch even through her T-shirt.

That was the sound that brought the young lieutenant back to her senses, even as she instinctually pressed herself all the closer to the young man giving her such pleasure. Sam felt a flash of self-disgust roll over her then gently but firmly pulled away, tightly gripping Daniel's hands as they still tried to please her. "Daniel," she said breathlessly. "We can't do this."

"Why not?" he asked, obviously confused.

Sam's eyes widened as she took in Daniel's relaxed muscles and barely-open eyes. He was really still asleep! This was all part of a dream he was acting out - and she thought she knew what role she'd been cast in. Mel was an extremely lucky woman. Sam wasn't quite willing to lie to her best friend, however, and she couldn't tell him the whole truth. "We have to be up early tomorrow. Plans for breakfast, remember?"

Daniel smiled, and he stopped the tiny struggles to pull his hands from her grip. "Of course. I wouldn't want you to be yawning through breakfast." The smile grew wider. "It might give it all away."

"Go back to bed, Daniel. I'll see you in the morning." Sam was grateful that Daniel wasn't really seeing her at that moment. She couldn't have pulled off a genuine smile if her life depended on it.

"Good night," Daniel whispered and gave her a feather-light kiss. Just before he disappeared back into the bedroom, he paused and looked back over his shoulder. "Don't be too long. Your side of the bed gets cold without you." The door closed and he was gone.

Sam stumbled over and flopped onto the couch. She'd almost done it again! She knew if things had gone much further, she would have made love to Daniel, asleep or not, and it wouldn't have been nearly as awkward as it had been six years ago. Apparently Daniel had gained some experience in the meantime, not that she could say the same. She'd been too afraid of her track record not to mention the effect it could have on her reputation.

Then one word in her personal reprimand jumped out at her. Almost. She'd _almost_ done it again. But she had stopped herself. She had wanted to - hell, she _still_ wanted to, if her raging hormones were anything to go by - but she hadn't. Considering Daniel was acting out a dream, he might not have even realized the reality. And she controlled herself.

Sam smiled. It didn't erase what had happened in the park in El Segundo, but it was a big step toward redemption. She snuggled under her covers and drifted back to sleep, proud of herself and happy that Daniel had found someone worth fantasizing about.


	17. Chapter 17

ANs: Well, folks, with this chapter you have now caught up to what I have written so far, at least as far as completed chapters go. I am working on chapter eighteen as we speak, and I hope I don't keep you waiting too long. Thanks to everyone who's given feedback, and I hope you all are still enjoying this ride!

* * *

Chapter Seventeen

* * *

"Dear Jack,

"Thank you for the beautiful watercolor of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. I'd imagine that the artist used the Greek historian Strabo's description for his inspiration. And if that is truly what the gardens looked like, if they truly did exist, then it doesn't surprise me in the least that they are considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

"I hope you liked your Christmas present as well, and that Sara and Charlie liked theirs. It was a relaxing way to spend what little free time I had this last semester, although I drew most of yours while I was in Egypt. Inspiration just seemed to come a lot easier there for whatever reason. Maybe it's because I was back in the land I had thought of as home. Not that I think of it that way anymore; that trip revealed that thought for the dream it was. I'll always have a soft spot for Egypt, but the United States is home. But I've already told you about this so I'll just get on with it.

"You've gotten your wish, Jack. I was originally intending to seriously focus on my anthropology masters so I could have it finished by the summer and the dig in Wales I'm set to join this June, but something happened right before Christmas that made me change my mind. Do you remember me telling you about the two episodes of sleepwalking I had growing up? Well, apparently I had another one the night I graduated. When I woke up in the morning I found one of my books on my desk next to a pad of paper and an unsharpened pencil. Looking closely I could see that there were imprints of written letters on the top page, like someone wrote on it with something that didn't leave a mark.

"I've been told that episodes like that only happen during times of extreme stress. When I saw the evidence I realized that I'd been pushing myself too hard and really needed to slow down. So I've switched some of my graduate classes around and added some other classes I've been interested in taking for awhile so that I'll end up with my masters in December instead of May. Trust me when I say that just knowing I'm not going to be pushing myself quite as hard has already taken a huge load off my shoulders.

"You know, now that I think about it, my little middle-of-the-night excursion, on top of Sam staying with me so she wouldn't have to spend money on a hotel room, explains this really vivid dream I had that night. It was amazing how real it seemed to be. I'm just glad Sam managed to sleep through it all. I would have hated to wake her up and make her worried for me.

"Now, Jack, you've had more experience with women than I have so maybe you can help me figure a few things out. Mel is a very intelligent woman. She has an amazing intuitive understanding of her field, and I thought she had a drive to learn that matched it. But ever since she got her masters degree she's been like a completely different person. She's going out nearly every night and staying out to all hours of the morning. She usually tries to drag me along, but this is not the kind of social life I'm interested in. And then Mel tends to call me at two, three in the morning to come get her - she usually leaves her car here and goes with her friends - because she's way too intoxicated to get herself home and her friends are in the same condition. One time she scared me when she called from the hospital for the same reason. Turns out one of her friends had drunk himself into a case of alcohol poisoning.

"I really don't like what she's doing and the way it seems to be making her go through major mood swings, but since we're still on winter break it hasn't affected her hunt for a doctorate. The times I've been able to talk with her about my concerns have ended up in arguments that she apologizes for when she swings the other way. I know she's better than this, and the fear that flashes in her eyes when I talk about her upcoming doctorate suggests there's a deeper meaning behind it all, but I don't know what to do in the here and now. It's almost like she's hiding behind the shallow persona she had built up before she met me, and I haven't been able to figure out why yet. I think I'm too close to the situation to see it clearly, and she's hurt me with some of her comments. I've lashed out a couple of times in response, so I'm not completely free of blame here, but it's all a huge mess I wish I could straighten out.

"I think I've said enough on that subject; it actually helped to write it all out. If you have any advice, I'd be glad to hear it. And don't worry about me too much. Now that I've vented some of my frustrations I should be able to think more clearly about this. Mel and I will work it out. You just take care of yourself, and say hello to Sara and Charlie for me.

"Your friend,

"Daniel"

* * *

"Dear Daniel, 

"You're more than welcome for the picture. I thought of you when I saw it, so it had to be yours. The pictures you drew for us have been matted and framed, and are now hanging in my office. Well, Charlie's is in his room, but I think you kind of figured that.

"I wish I hadn't gotten what I wanted in the way I got it. I really wish you never would have driven yourself to the point where you needed to back off in the first place. But I get the feeling this won't be the last time we'll be having this little exchange. Oh, who am I kidding? I know this won't be the last time.

"As a side note, just what kind of dream did you have, anyway? And Sam was staying at your apartment? Wasn't Jacob in Chicago, too? Just what did Mel have to say about all that?

"Daniel, you dog.

"Thinking of Mel, I'm flattered you think I'd have a clue about what goes on in the minds of women, however much it's not true. Yeah, I've had a few more girlfriends than you, but that's not exactly proof of a greater understanding. In fact, I think it's more proof of the opposite. But I'll do my best to help.

"I think you're on to something with that fear thing. Maybe she's scared of getting her doctorate for whatever reason. Maybe she doesn't even realize it. And maybe she's rebelling against the picture you represent to her. I mean, think about it. You've already got one doctorate, and you're working hard at getting two more. You don't go out and socialize like she's used to from what you've told me. Let's face it, Daniel - you're a goody-two-shoes. Maybe it's rubbing her the wrong way a bit that her boyfriend is so driven and isn't suffering from the fears about the future that she is.

"Mind you, this is all a wild, stabbing guess here. I only know what you've told me about Mel and the situation. I could be completely off base here. God knows I've been off base enough at home.

"Just so you know you're not the only one with woman troubles, I'll let you know that I had a few arguments with Sara during my last leave. She hates that I can't tell her anything about my missions, and that I can't always make it home when I say I will. I didn't get home until the day after Christmas because of an unexpected snag in my team's extraction plans, and Sara didn't take it well. At least Charlie was happy to see me.

"This is exactly why I asked Sara if she'd be okay with me joining Special Ops. I explained to her way back then that I wouldn't be able to tell her everything and that sometimes surprises would happen that I couldn't see coming. She knew. And she said she'd live with it, because she could sense it was something I really wanted to do. To be fair, Sara's usually very understanding. I think it was mainly missing Christmas that got her on edge. That, and she could tell something was bothering me and I refused to go into details. Some bad things went down on my last mission, Daniel. Things that point toward something nasty - and I don't know which side I should be looking at for the source. That's as much as I'm comfortable saying; I know you'll understand. I only wish Sara would, too.

"Well, that's enough depressing stuff. I hope your plans for spring break with Sam are going well. Have you decided where you're going? Please tell me it's somewhere fun. You may have decided to slow down a bit on your school stuff, but I know you. Take that week and relax. Just be sure to let me know where you're going. I want to give your trip the Jack O'Neill stamp of approval. And that means it needs to be fun!

"As you can see from the postmark I'm out and about again and sending this from one of my pre-mission stopovers, so I may not be able to write again for a while. But in the meantime, good luck with Mel, say hi to Sam for me, and above all stay safe.

"Your friend,

"Jack"

* * *

"Dear Daniel, 

"I am so sorry to hear about your troubles with Mel. I really do like her. It's a shame she seems to be throwing away her talent, but I think I agree with Jack on this one - she's afraid of something. We both know what it takes to make your way through graduate school; it's a daunting task. Although it might be the unknown of what's going to happen after she gets her doctorate that has her worried. Does she have any plans? Does she know what she wants to do with her doctorate? You might want to find out.

"I know it's been a while since I wrote last. We were all caught up in getting things prepared for another semester of ROTC, and I'm afraid I let other things fall by the wayside for a while. But now that school's back in session, oddly enough, I have more time to myself, and I knew one of the first things I had to do was reconnect with you. You said you were going to switch some classes around so you could slow down your masters quest - did that turn out all right? I know there have been some individual classes you wanted to take, and I can only hope some of them were available. But the big question is, did you manage to get your Fridays off again? It still astounds me you've been able to do it for so many semesters. Lucky dog.

"I have some great news. I've secured my leave for spring break, so our travel plans are a go! I am so going to enjoy this! Are you still sure that you don't want to go through a travel agency? I know you know the area and all, but an agent might be able to get us better rates. Just something to think about.

"Are you serious about Jack wanting to okay our trip? Does he really think I'd let you hide away in museums and libraries all week? I know how to have fun, and even better is that I know how to make you have fun, too. Not that I won't enjoy visiting those museums and libraries - we just won't spend all our time there.

"I suppose I should keep this short. I have a couple of reports to write for tomorrow. One way or the other I'll be in contact with you soon. Good luck with Mel and say hi back to Jack for me!

"Friends forever,

"Sam"

* * *

Daniel sat at his desk just before lunch the first Friday in March, the notebook page in front of him blank and his expression sour. His eyes were locked on the scene outside his window where the skies were grey and a steady rain kept things miserable. _How appropriate_, he thought, his scowl deepening. He sighed and let his chin rest in his hand as his elbow nudged the notebook away from him. 

Soon enough a knock at his door interrupted his dark mental meanderings. "Just a minute," he called. He closed the few tomes he had been attempting to use to do his research and headed over to greet his visitor.

There was a surprise waiting for him in the hallway. "Hi, Daniel," Mel said quietly, gazing up at him with a tentative expression, her long brown hair plastered to her head and over her equally drenched trenchcoat. "Can I come in?"

"I thought you didn't want to talk to me anymore," Daniel said sharply even as he stepped out of the way, allowing her entrance.

"I didn't," Mel returned just as sharply as she stepped inside and let Daniel shut the door behind her. "At least not last night. But after I got back to my apartment..." She sighed and every ounce of belligerence drained out of her body. "Let's just say I did a lot of thinking last night. I never thought I'd argue with you the way we did yesterday."

"I've never argued with _anyone_ like we did yesterday," Daniel said, his eyes still a bit hard. Then they softened. "I said a lot of things I didn't mean."

Mel smiled slightly. "Me too. But I also said a lot of things I did, and I know you did too. We really need to talk."

Daniel looked at her closely for a long, silent moment then gestured her toward the couch. "You didn't go out last night, did you?" he asked, sitting down on his recliner as Mel shrugged out of her jacket and hung it on the coat rack next to the door before taking him up on his invitation.

She shook her head. "No, and that's one of the things I really looked at." Green eyes met blue. "Do you really have that much of a problem with going out? You do realize there's more to life than your books, don't you?"

Her tone was one of honest curiosity, totally taking any possible insult out of the query. "I know that, I really do. And I don't exactly have a problem with going out, at least not every now and again. I just don't think you should be doing it every single night, not when you have a doctoral thesis to be working on. You can't just sacrifice tomorrow for a good time today." Daniel's gaze dropped to his lap. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to preach. I just know how smart you are, how much potential you have. I don't want to see you throw it away."

"You really believe that, don't you?"

Daniel's eyes shot back up in surprise. "Of course I do. I wouldn't have said it otherwise."

Mel sighed. "God, I'm not used to that. You know better than anyone else I've ever met that the foster care system isn't known for being a nurturing atmosphere. I was always told what a failure I'd be, how people would be surprised if I didn't turn up dead in a dumpster someplace thanks to a drug overdose. I was always angry growing up, and people only saw the anger..."

"Not the scared and hurt little girl underneath it all," Daniel murmured. "I understand."

"I knew you would. But you at least have eight years of memories of parents who loved you, wanted you. My mother left me outside the doors of the emergency room of the hospital near the building where she gave birth. And we're talking the stereotypical note pinned to the ragged blanket she'd wrapped me in that had my name and the name of my father."

"You don't have to tell me this," Daniel said sympathetically, blinking a little rapidly at the deluge of information. She'd said she was an orphan that grew up in foster care, but she'd never told him the full story.

"Yes, I do," she whispered. "If I'm going to be able to heal, to move forward, I need to face it. I never have before, and you're the only one I trust enough to share this with." She squeezed her eyes shut, struggling to hold back tears. "You're the only one I trust, period."

Daniel's eyes widened at the statement. "Mel, before you go any further, I need to tell you something about my feelings for you. I think they've changed. I know they have. As upset as I was last night, it wasn't what I would have expected over someone I was in love with. I still feel the strong friendship we built over in Egypt, but I'm not in love with you." He took a deep breath and released it as he took in the bowed head across from him that had dropped as he spoke. "I'm sorry, Mel, so sorry. But I thought you should know before you shared anything else so personal. I want to be your friend, very much so. But I just can't..."

A snort from the woman on the couch cut him off. "You want to know something, Daniel?" she asked as she raised her head. Daniel was surprised to see a small smile teasing her lips. "I was going to tell you the same thing, but then you threw me with that statement of confidence in me. I'm not ready to commit to a serious, long-term relationship. Hell, I need to get into one with myself first. And you're so serious about everything, too serious a lot of the time, that I can't see you in anything _but_ a serious relationship. You deserve one. Just... not with your books." Mel smirked and shrugged.

Daniel searched her eyes for a long, silent moment then nodded. "So we can be friends?"

"I know how important friends are to you, Daniel, and I'm honored you still think of me as one after everything I've put you through these last few months." Mel gave a short laugh. "I've never even thought about being friends with an ex before. But then again, none of them were like you."

"Have you thought about counseling?" Daniel asked.

Mel nodded. "I set up an appointment for tomorrow morning at eleven through Student Health Services. I really scared myself last night."

Daniel gave her a look that was half teasing, half worried. "Are you sure you'll be able to get up on time?"

That made the brunette laugh outright. "I have no plans to go out tonight, if that's what you're worried about. That's part of what scared me."

"You don't think you're an alcoholic, do you?"

"You really don't want to believe that, do you?" Mel asked softly, a touch of wonder in her tone. She shook her head. "No, I don't think I'm quite there yet. But I know I could end up one if I keep going down the road I'm on. And I refuse to give any of those bastards who called themselves foster parents the satisfaction."

Daniel smiled. "And that's why you're going to keep working hard for your doctorate, right?"

She grinned. "Of course."

"You also need to do it for you," he reminded her gently. "This needs to be because you want it, not just because you want to show off to people who really aren't going to care one way or the other."

"I want this," she whispered. "I want this very much. I know I've got a lot of work ahead of me - unlike you, I'm going to have to spend a few years on this - and I know I can do it. Just as long as..." She cut herself off and gave Daniel a rare vulnerable look.

"Just as long as what?" he asked.

She swallowed nervously. "As long as you'll stick by me," she replied shyly. "I need a friend like you."

He hesitated for a moment, then reached over and grabbed one of the hands that were fidgeting with the hem of her blouse. "You have one, for as long as you need me," Daniel promised.

Mel gave him a watery-eyed smile then struggled to pull herself back together. "Then I'm good," she declared, her voice getting stronger with every word. "Which also means I get to help you overcome some of your faults."

"What?" Daniel practically yelped, thoroughly surprised, as he let go of her hand and sat back in his chair. "What do you mean?"

"You get lost in your books, Daniel. And I mean big time, all the time. There were times where I felt like I had to act up just to get your attention, even if it was you yelling at me to leave you alone." She shot him a pointed look.

"I didn't yell," he protested.

She shrugged off the distinction. "You use those books to hide away from the world, Daniel, and that's just not right. There are probably lots of people out there who would love to be your friend if you would just go out and make an effort. I'm not talking about socializing every night or anything like that," she said quickly, cutting off the next protest she could see forming on his lips. "I mean once or twice a week go sit at the Student Union and do your reading, or join a once-a-week study group. You could be a lot of help to some of those undergraduate students. Your world has revolved around your two anchors, Jack and Sam, for so long because they were the only ones you could count on to be there no matter what. It's great that you have that foundation, but now you have to build on it. Stop hiding behind your brain and take some chances." Her expression softened when she saw him swallow and his gaze drop to his lap. "I'm not telling you to find new best friends, Daniel. No one will be able to take Jack or Sam's place in your heart. Just... find some friendly acquaintances at the very least, okay?" She smiled. "I think you'll find life around here a bit more bearable if you do."

Daniel brought his eyes back up. "It _is_ bearable, but I see your point."

"Daniel, you are so very _alone_. And I don't even think _I_ was lucky enough to get close enough to change that. I don't doubt our friendship - anyone else would have kicked my ass by now either for the way I've acted or what I've said - but I'm not next to your heart. Like I said, there are only two people there. But there's more room at my level in your life. Invite some more people in so I can have a party - I'm bored!" She grinned to show she was teasing.

"You're always bored," Daniel replied through a laugh. "I'll try," he promised, turning serious once again. "I can't promise more than that."

"Wasn't expecting it." She gave him another grin then glanced at her watch. "Crap. I have a meeting with Professor Neitzel about one of my projects I've been slacking off on. I need to go." She pushed herself up off the couch, Daniel rising from the recliner as she did so.

Daniel crammed his hands in his pants pockets as the two of them stared at each other a little awkwardly. "You can stop by again after your meeting if you want," he offered finally. "If you wanted to talk some more, I mean."

She smiled shyly. "If you're still willing to listen, I think I'd like that. Thank you."

"Your appointment is at eleven tomorrow, right?" Mel nodded. "Do you want me to come along for moral support?"

"You... you'd do that?" The brunette's jaw dropped. "After everything..."

"After everything," Daniel said with a firm nod. "You're my friend, Mel, and friends mean the world to me. Remember that, okay?"

She bit her lower lip for a second. "I will," she whispered, then smiled shyly again and headed for the door. Daniel walked with her to see her out. "One last thing," she said as she stood in the open doorway, her jacket back on. "To remember what we had." She took Daniel's face in her hands and pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss. A shocked moment later he responded, giving as good as he got, taking his hands out of his pockets to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her close.

A desperate need for oxygen finally made them pull back. "That should tide me over for a while," Mel said breathlessly, grinning. "I'll be back later."

Daniel merely nodded, still trying to catch his breath and control his body's reactions. He watched his friend walk down the hall and disappear into the elevator with a wink and a wave. He couldn't help but smile. He somehow knew everything would be okay.

* * *

"Dear Daniel, 

"You know, it totally sucks that things didn't work out for you and Mel. She sounded like someone who really cared about you and was able to drag you away from your books when you needed it. I am glad you guys are still friends, though, and that she's getting the help she needs to keep her life on track. It's good to know you're just as good a friend to her as you've always been for me.

"She really gave you one last kiss, did she? Are we talking a peck on the cheek or something that steamed up the hallway? Oh, who am I kidding? As stunned as you sounded it must have been R rated. So how long did it take for you to get your breath back? To be able to take the pillow out of your lap without fear of embarrassment? Come on, you can tell me. I won't laugh... too much.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop the teasing. I bet you're as red as a tomato by now anyway. Wish I could see it. Maybe Mel's around and she could get me a picture?

"Right, I said I'd stop the teasing.

"I'm in northern Africa at the moment, between assignments. I have no idea where we're going next - my commander hasn't confirmed anything yet. He said something about double-checking a translation of some information we got from a contact in the Middle East. I wonder what he knows that we don't. I guess we could use your skills over here if our people are having enough trouble that Colonel Pohoski feels the need to get a second opinion. Not that I really want you over here exactly. I'd enjoy your company, but it's dangerous.

"Then again, he might have received more information he needs confirmation of, or something else entirely. I just remember him complaining a few months ago about the quality of translations we were getting. I also remember wondering how the heck he'd know if it was a little off. I almost wish I could send you a sample. Maybe that would put the colonel's mind at ease about the whole thing. He stresses too much.

"I don't mind leading the team in the field, but when I see the kind of responsibility the colonel has it makes me nervous about taking that next step up the promotion ladder. The further up the chain of command I go, the closer I get to being The Man. While I'm sure there are lots of perks to being The Man, it looks like there are a lot more negatives. Can you imagine having to deal with the stupid little things? Like - oh, I don't know - having to figure out what to do if the base had the wrong kind of potatoes delivered to the commissary. God, can't you just imagine?

"Sara was very disappointed that I wasn't able to come home between assignments. She's been talking about starting to try for a brother or sister for Charlie. I don't really have an objection to that - hey, just the trying is fun - but I'm not sure we're going to have a whole lot of time anytime soon. There's a few things around here that need to be taken care of, and we'll more than likely be shipped off to put out the next fire as soon as we're done. It's just what we do. But I really miss them, Daniel. I miss the way Sara's skin feels so soft when I cup her cheek, or the way the sunlight makes Charlie's blond hair glow like a halo around his head, making him look like the angel he is. Kissing Sara, holding Charlie. Eating Sara's cooking, listening to Charlie's laugh. I miss it all. Those are all the things I fight for over here, you know. All of that, and the right for you to bury yourself in your books and not write to me for a month and a half.

"What was up with that, by the way? I don't exactly expect daily updates, but a month and a half? Were things that bad with Mel before the end? It better not be because of schoolwork. You told me you were slowing down that stuff. You're going to end up with an ulcer, you know that, don't you? And that is just too typically geek-like, a total cliche. You know how I feel about cliches.

"But you wrote me, so I'll forgive you. It's nice to hear about normal stuff back home, about things I don't have to make decisions about or arrangements for. I do that enough here. And I don't have to worry about questions I can't answer. There's always at least one in every letter from Sara. She's usually okay when I tell her I can't explain, but she still asks. I'm just waiting for Charlie to join in. At least his questions will be more understandable - he's just a kid, and I'm sure he's going to be as curious as hell.

"So I see you and Sam have finalized your vacation plans. I looked them over, checked them out, and I must say you guys have really done your homework. It's a tight itinerary, filled with out-of-the-way spots and nice little bed and breakfasts. A little too heavy on the educational side for me, but I do see that you've added some stopovers at some of the more well-known hot spots. Sam's doing I take it?

"All in all, I'd have to say they look pretty good. I'm willing to give them the Jack O'Neill stamp of approval. Hell, I wish I could join you, even with all the educational stuff. Beats sitting around here. Besides, I'd really like to see you again. I'm hoping to be able to catch your graduation in December when you pick up your anthropology masters. It's been a while since I was able to be there for something like that, and it's about time I did. I figure I can make a stop there for a couple days, then spend the rest of my holiday with Sara and Charlie. I think I'll just consider it my Christmas present to myself and leave it at that. What do you think?

"I know what I'm thinking - I can see where someone might get the idea I talk too much. I mean, this was a really long letter, especially for me. I better cut myself off now before yet another tree sacrifices its life for the cause. Write sooner this time, and stay safe.

"Your friend,

"Jack"

* * *

"Do you have an extra pair of swimming trunks?" 

"Yes."

"An extra bottle of suntan lotion?"

"Yes."

"How about sunburn creme?"

Daniel sighed. "Yes."

"A light-weight suit?"

"Yes, Mommy. I managed to pack my bags all by myself and everything. Aren't you proud?" The sarcasm was scathing.

Mel grinned at him, ignoring the attitude. "My little boy is all grown up!" She reached out and pinched his cheek.

Daniel slapped her hand away. "And before you ask, I have three pairs of light-weight khaki slacks, two pairs of blue jeans, a variety of casual and dress shirts, a selection of four ties, two pairs of sandals, a pair of dress loafers, a pair of casual loafers, and a pair of tennis shoes. No, I didn't forget my socks, underwear, shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush or toothpaste, an extra pair of glasses, or my prescription sunglasses. I will, however, be using my clip-on shades until we get there. My passport is in my beltpouch, along with my driver's license, cash - both dollars and drachmae, traveler's checks, my allergy medicine, Dramamine, and a pack of gum. In short, I'm ready. Can we go now?" He hiked his carry-on bag onto his shoulder and picked up his two suitcases - both lightly packed in anticipation of what he'd be bringing back - before striding past Mel and heading for the open front door.

Mel cleared her throat loudly, stopping the brown-haired man in the middle of his doorway. She waited until he'd turned around before waving what she held in her right hand at him. "Your tickets?" she asked innocently.

Daniel stared at her for a long moment, then stomped over, snagged the tickets in his teeth, and spun around, storming out toward the elevator. Mel followed, locking his door and laughing all the way to the car.

"How's the counseling going?" Daniel asked once they were on their way to the airport.

"It's going," Mel replied, shooting a glare at a jerk that pulled in front of her, cutting it awfully close to her front fender. "I really do want to talk it all out, but I'm having trust issues. Doctor Collier's been pretty understanding so far, thank God. And he says it's normal. He also says it's good that I've been talking to you." She gave him a quick smile. "Thanks for all that, by the way."

"Anytime, you know that."

A quiet moment went by while they turned onto another road. "What about you? Working on that whole socializing thing?" Mel asked finally, purposely not looking at her passenger.

Daniel sighed. "I talked to Doctor Jordan this week, since I needed to let him know where I was at with the projects I've been working on. I told him I was interested in joining the archaeology mentor program he set up a couple years ago. When I get back he'll match me up with two or three students." He couldn't help but smile. "I thought it best I start small and work my way up."

Mel laughed. "Whatever it takes, Daniel. Whatever it takes." She shook her head, the smile not fading. "And what about that new theory you were working on? Are you going to try to publish a paper?"

"Once I have some more research done, I'll be in a better position to make a decision. But I'm leaning it that direction."

"You know there'll be people out there who won't like what you have to say."

Daniel blinked at the sudden serious tone. "There are always people out there like that. But if what I have to say is the truth, it doesn't matter _how_ many people don't like it. It'll need to be said."

Mel nodded. "That really doesn't scare you, does it?"

"No," Daniel said simply. "But this theory isn't as 'out there' as something else I've been considering. I need to get back to Egypt to do some hands-on checking, but there's just something about the differences between the inside of the Great Pyramid and writings from the time it was supposed to have been built that nags at me. There's something big there, but I don't know what it is. Doctor Jordan's helping me put together a grant proposal that will let me run a dig over there. Hopefully that'll help me put whatever there is into perspective and solidify things for me. And something's telling me that the answers to the questions in my head are going to turn the world on its ear." He crossed his arms over his chest as he turned an unfocused gaze forward.

"Be careful," Mel whispered. "Be very careful."

"What do you mean?" Daniel asked, blinking his way back to the real world.

"Exactly what I said. The world doesn't like to be turned on its ear. And it doesn't usually like the person that does it, either. Whenever you decide to come forward - assuming everything pans out the way you seem to think it will - be completely sure, and be ready for people to not want to hear you. It's not fair, but it's the way it is." Daniel merely nodded, and the rest of the ride to the airport was made in silence.

When they arrived, Mel stopped in the unloading zone and helped Daniel get his bags out of the back seat. "You are required to have a good time," she declared once he was ready to go inside. "And Sam is, too. Tell her I said so." She grinned.

Daniel nodded, returning the smile. "I will. And _we_ will. Our itinerary has the Jack O'Neill stamp of approval, remember?" They laughed and Mel stepped forward to give him a tight squeeze. "You have a good time at your geology seminar," Daniel told her once they separated.

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, okay." She winked impishly. "I'm just lucky Professor Neitzel is willing to let this make up for the work I missed in the beginning of the semester. Fun isn't important."

"But you'll have it anyway," Daniel refuted, smirking.

"And you'll have more. What's your point?" They laughed again. "Now get going. You need to check all this crap in. I'll be here to pick you up when you get back, and I expect to be shown everything you bought and all of your pictures of you guys being wild and crazy. That's part of the deal."

"I remember," Daniel said, shaking his head. "I'll see you next weekend." He accepted one last hug then disappeared into the airport.

Mel watched him go with a smile, gave a little wish that he'd have a good time and come home safe, then left to get ready for her own trip.


	18. Chapter 18

ANs: Well, here it is, folks! Thank you all for being so patient (or, if you weren't, for not saying anything -wink-). Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long to get out of my head! Oh, and you'll find a nod to my friend, the fanfic author Meriem Clayton. Just couldn't help myself!

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

* * *

Sam and Daniel arrived in Athens in the early evening on Saturday and decided to check into their small, out-of-the-way hotel, catch dinner at a nearby restaurant, and make an early night of it to hopefully cut down on jet lag the next day. Sunday was spent wandering around the various neighborhoods, taking things slow, and generally enjoying each other's company. Their conversation was light and a bit frivolous, matching their moods and their desire to have a good time together.

Early Monday morning, Daniel shook Sam awake. Her blue-grey eyes opened a crack and narrowed to mere slits when she saw her roommate was already dressed, showered, and shaved. She was in no mood to face the day yet. "What?" she practically snarled at the man leaning over her.

Daniel fought back a laugh. "So you're not really a morning person. Amazing I didn't realize that before," he quipped.

"Yes, amazing. Now let me go back to sleep." She pulled the covers up over her head.

"Nope, can't do that. If you want to start that tour of the Acropolis before the hordes of tourists get there we need to go now. Besides, the idea is to take it slow. It's only open from eight to seven."

"That's eleven hours. I can sleep for one of them."

Daniel grinned and shook his head at the muffled voice as he straightened. "Come on, Sam. You agreed to this when we set up the itinerary. And as a reward we'll watch the sunset from the rock of Areopagos; I promise it's breathtaking."

Mussed-up blonde hair and suspicious blue eyes suddenly popped out from under the blanket. "You aren't going to leave me alone, are you?"

Brown eyebrows rose. "What do you think?"

Sam sighed melodramatically. "I think you better get me some coffee while I get ready, or this is going to be a _long_ morning."

"Okay, Sam - as long as you're really going to get ready."

"Since when did you get so suspicious?"

"Since you developed such a firm attachment to those blankets."

The woman stared at her friend for a long moment then released an explosive breath. "Fine, I'm up, I'm up," she said as she threw aside the covers and sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. "Satisfied?"

Daniel nodded with a happy smile. "Immensely." He headed for the door. "Oh, I'll bring up some breakfast for us while I'm at it. I'm sure you're hungry, and I _know_ I am." He gave one last wave and headed out.

Forty-five minutes later, the two of them were walking up the marble walkway up the famous Acropolis toward the even more famous Parthenon. "You know what's so fascinating about all this," Daniel said, gesturing to the area around them. "People actually lived here on the Acropolis as early as five thousand B.C. People walked where we're walking right now almost seven thousand years before us. We are truly experiencing history first-hand."

Sam smiled at him. "That's very cool. We actually studied Athenian history a bit in our tactics and strategy courses at the academy. The sheer sides here made an excellent natural defense, and you could see enemies coming either by land or by sea."

"I knew you'd like it, Sam."

"What are those?" Sam asked a little while later, pointing at immense column drums built into the sides of the Acropolis.

"Oh, um, those were part of the original Parthenon that was destroyed in the Persian invasion of 480 B.C. When Pericles later had everything rebuilt, he had those drums made a part of the new walls to remind people of what had happened and that they had managed to rebuild. I think I like the statement." Daniel smiled.

Sam did as well. "Remember the past, but look to the future."

Daniel reached over and gave her hand a brief squeeze. "Exactly."

"Is there a special name for this entryway?" Sam asked as they approached a relatively simple-looking stone doorway near the top of the monument. "It almost looks out of place."

"That's because it was built by the Romans. This is the Beule Gate," he explained, stepping a bit off the trail to touch the stone archway reverently.

Sam moved over behind him, closely examining how it was put together. "It's always been kind of fascinating to me how Roman architecture has lasted so long. Some of their techniques have never been able to be recreated." Her brows creased as a thought occurred to her. "Beule Gate? That sounds French."

Daniel nodded, never taking his hand or eyes away from the structure in front of him. "It is. It was named after the French archaeologist who discover it in 1852. The next structure we'll see is the Greek entryway, the Propylaia."

After a few more minutes the two of them moved forward on the pathway that led through the two sections of roofless columns, Daniel telling Sam about the monuments they were passing as they did, the Pinacotheca on their left and the small temple to Nike Athena on their right.

"Nike Athena?" Sam asked, smirking.

"It means Athena of Victory," Daniel translated with an amused roll of his eyes. "It commemorates the victory of the Athenians over the Persians."

Sam looked down at her feet. "Nike. How strangely appropriate," she murmured.

Daniel dropped his gaze down as well. A chuckle escaped as he dragged his friend forward. "I don't think you're going to find any swooshes around here... except for the ones on your shoes." They laughed and continued on.

And so the day continued. They went slowly, examining everything carefully and thoroughly, Daniel telling his friend about the details of what they were looking at, the stories creative and engaging. Time flew by.

"It looks so graceful," Sam murmured as they stood before the Parthenon itself around mid-afternoon. They'd started on the edges of the plateau and worked their way in, eating the lunches they'd packed in the large inner pockets of Daniel's jacket at noon - they'd left their bags at the hotel knowing they weren't allowed on the Acropolis - and drinking bottled water they'd bought at the snack bar near the entrance.

"Doesn't it? Ictinus was a miracle worker. He used entasis to near perfection."

"Who was Ictinus?"

"What's entasis?"

Daniel and Sam shared a look at the last two questions, neither of them asked by the blonde lieutenant. In unison they turned to look behind them and were shocked to see a crowd of about twenty people gathered behind them waiting patiently for the answers. "Um, well, you see..." Daniel began politely, his shock rattling his thought process for a moment. He shook his head to clear it and continued with a bit more confidence. "Ictinus was the architect of the Parthenon. When you look at the columns, the stairs, even the floor of the monument, everything looks gracefully straight, almost perfectly so, right?" He waited for the murmur of agreement, totally missing the growing grin on his friend's face. "Well, in all actuality, nothing here is straight. Everything is minutely curved, which creates the optical illusion of a straight appearance. With the columns, that means that they're slightly thicker in the middle, and that's a device known as entasis. Does, um, does that answer your questions?"

Sam fought back a fond chuckle at the total change in demeanor with his last question. His explanation had been backed by knowledgeable confidence and an enthusiasm for his subject, but his final query revealed his uncertainty at how these people would receive him. She was happy to see nothing but smiles and nods. She stood back and watched as Daniel continued to field questions about the rest of the monument, a surprising amount of them covering facts he had related to her as they went that she didn't think would be found in the average tourist brochure. Had these people been following them around all day? If they had, how had the two of them missed it?

Looking around the plateau, Sam noticed a small group of native looking people talking and gesturing a bit angrily in their direction. Suddenly everything clicked. These people had been part of other tour groups, and had abandoned them to listen to Daniel. And now the tour guides were a bit upset. Sam cringed. She hoped they wouldn't give Daniel too hard a time. It wasn't like he did it on purpose, after all.

She was brought back to the present when she felt Daniel put his right arm around her shoulders and start to lead her away. "I'm sorry I can't stay longer, but my friend and I have an appointment to talk with one of the archaeologists on site." Sam blinked. They did?

The blonde woman glanced at the man at her side amidst a flurry of cheerful farewells and wishes to see them again soon. "Are you serious or was that a ploy to get us away from that crowd?" she asked quietly.

"Both," Daniel replied. It was then that she realized the flush of his cheeks wasn't entirely due to the sun overhead. "Although I'm surprised they stayed as long as they did."

"You're entertaining when you're excited about something, Daniel. And you know so much about this kind of thing."

"Thanks," Daniel said quietly, a pleased little smile teasing his lips.

They walked around to the back of the building, and Daniel checked his watch. "Well, I told Devin we'd be here about now," he muttered, letting his arm fall back to his side as he looked around. They were both surprised to find they missed the sensation.

A few minutes later a short British man appeared and proceeded to show them around the part of the Parthenon the general public wasn't allowed to see. Devin Bartholomew had worked on the dig in Egypt with Daniel, and had taken up an internship in Greece when the summer had ended. Daniel had called him when he'd been making the arrangements for the trip, and Devin had been more than happy to play tour guide for them. When they were finished a couple hours later, they made arrangements to meet the fledgling archaeologist the next night for dinner then exited, Daniel immediately leading them toward the rock of Areopagos.

"Tomorrow we're going to the Sanctuary of Artemis, right?" Sam asked as they carefully made their way down the somewhat slippery stone steps.

"After we come back here to go through the Acropolis Museum, yes," Daniel confirmed.

The two of them finally made their way to their destination and found an empty space out of the way of the tourist traffic to sit and settle themselves to wait for the sunset. They were quiet for quite a while, just comfortable in each other's company and looking out over the city and surrounding countryside, until a crying child decided to throw a tantrum directly behind them and ruin the mood. They shared a rueful grin once the frustrated mother managed to drag the kid away. "Welcome back to the real world," Daniel said, pushing his glasses back into place.

Sam nodded. "It's not always the nicest of places, is it?"

Daniel frowned. "No, but that reminds me of something Mel said to me before she dropped me off at the airport on Friday. She'd asked me about one of my theories, if I was planning on publishing a paper on it."

"Okay, you lost me. Which theory?"

"Cultural cross-pollination."

"Oh, yeah, I remember that one. Don't you need to gather some more evidence before you put together a paper though?"

Daniel nodded. "Definitely, but I think I'd like to put a little more emphasis on that. Anyway, that's not what Mel was talking about."

Sam's brows furrowed in confusion. "So what _was_ she talking about?"

The brown-haired man sighed. "She said some people probably wouldn't like what I had to say, even if it's the truth. I know she's right, and I also know that shouldn't be a reason not to go through with this paper. But I can't help but be a little scared about the reaction I'm going to get - and it'll be nothing compared to what I'll get if that other theory of mine pans out the way I expect it to. Will it really be worth it?"

The blonde woman looked at her friend sympathetically, wondering what she could do or say that would make him raise his head from where it had dropped onto his drawn-up knees. Fortunately, she was saved the dilemma when an accented voice spoke up from behind the pair. "You believe you have found the truth, is that right?"

"What?" Daniel asked, surprised, as he and Sam looked over their shoulders at the older woman standing there.

"Your theories, they're the truth? No matter what your colleagues believe now?"

"_I_ think so, yes." Daniel's eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out who this slightly overweight woman in light-colored baggy clothes was.

She nodded. "Then say it. Publish your papers. I understand you're afraid. But you cannot let that fear keep you from telling the truth. People may very well scorn you, make you an outcast. But that won't make you any less right, and the world deserves to hear the truth, even if it doesn't believe it. Can you do that?"

The passion in her voice made Daniel's expression clear and he rose to his feet. "I can," he assured her firmly. "I _will_."

The woman smiled as she shook the hand Daniel offered. "You are here on vacation?"

"Yes." Daniel's smile grew as Sam rose to her feet. "My name is Daniel Jackson and this is my friend Samantha Carter. We're here on spring break."

"It's a pleasure," Sam said as the two women shook hands. Her smile came from seeing Daniel's spirits lifted so successfully. She'd always be grateful for that.

The Greek woman's eyes sparkled in the tanned face. "If this young man has such wonderful taste as to choose this beautiful city for his vacation and this beautiful woman as his companion, I can believe that the rest of his thoughts will be as beautiful." She laughed as the younger pair blushed. "You will both go far if you don't let fear hold you back. Remember that." She said one last thing in Greek and wished them farewell.

"What did she say?" Sam asked once the other lady had disappeared from sight, looking off in the direction she'd gone.

Daniel could only be grateful his deepening blush had gone unnoticed. "Um, it was a traditional Greek blessing." He wasn't about to admit that it had been a wish for them to have a long, loving life together filled with many children. There was no way.

Sam sighed and turned back to face her friend. "I wonder what she was doing here. She definitely wasn't a tourist."

The young archaeologist gestured for them to sit back down. "Oh, she wasn't," he said as they resumed their former position. "I think I recognized her. If she's who I think she is, she's an archaeologist who believes there's a connection between ancient Greek and Chinese cultures. She's published books about it that are considered quite controversial, and she also acts as a tour guide at the Acropolis." He smiled. "I bet none of the people following us around today came from her group."

"No bet," Sam said. She considered their recent conversation. "Well, you know she's talking from experience then, about coming forward with theories that may not be accepted."

"Yeah," Daniel agreed softly, his eyes dropping momentarily. "I can do that too."

The corners of Sam's mouth turned upward at the sight of her best friend's completely confident expression as he lifted his eyes and stared off toward the horizon. "I know you can. And you'll always have me to back you up. Always."

His head snapped toward her and he gave her a heart-melting grin. "I know that, Sam. I never doubted that. No matter what happens I know I'll always have you and Jack." He scooted over slightly and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Sam let her head rest in the crook of his neck, and the two of them sat and watched the glorious sunset over the ancient city before them.

* * *

Jack sat blinking on his bunk later on Saturday night, a bit stunned at the news he and his team had just received. "So what are you going to do with your three days of leave, Major?" Sergeant Thomas Gibson asked him, excitement lighting up his youthful features. 

The older man blinked and looked up at him, meeting the green-grey gaze that held far too little innocence for the age of its owner. "Not quite sure, Gibson. I've been waiting for orders to head out on a mission, not a mini-vacation." Jack smirked to take the sting out of his sarcastic tone.

Gibson laughed. "No kidding. It's been too tense around here for the last week."

"Do you know what's bothering the colonel so much, Major?" Captain James Tucker asked. It had taken a while, but the man finally settled into his role in Black Ops. Jack still wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"Not entirely," the Air Force major answered thoughtfully. It was a question he'd been asking himself since he brought it up in his letter to Daniel in mid-March. "I have a couple ideas, but they aren't anything I'm ready to talk about. It's all just guesses anyway."

"I heard one of the other teams took a really hard hit on their last mission over near Turkey," Lieutenant Leon Butler commented, running a comb through his curly black hair, the white plastic standing out sharply against his chocolate-colored skin.

Corporal Kenneth Silverman, the shortest man on the team, flopped down on the next bed down from Jack. "Supposedly there was some kind of breakdown in communications," he added, rubbing the short blond fuzz on top of his head. "But I don't know any specifics."

Jack shook his head and stood up. "Well, it's pointless for us to sit around here gossiping about it. The colonel will make sure we know anything if we need to know it. You guys going anywhere in particular during your leave?"

"There's this one club where they say they have the most exotic women in the city. We thought we'd check if it was false advertising." Gibson grinned wickedly.

"It's a hard job, but someone's got to do it," Butler added with false sincerity.

"And you know I can't just let them go alone," Tucker said, a serious look on his face only somewhat spoiled by the upward twitching of the corners of his mouth.

They all laughed, and the majority of the team started to get ready for their night on the town. They were just about ready to leave when Silverman turned back to his CO, who had resumed his seat on the edge of his bed. "Sir? Did you want to come along? I'm sure there'll be more than enough ladies to go around."

Butler planted an elbow in the corporal's ribs. "The major's married, you idiot," he hissed.

"So am I," Silverman shot back with a definite "duh" in his tone.

"Don't worry about it, Butler," Jack said with a smile. "And as much as I'd love to watch you guys make asses of yourselves, I've got some things I need to arrange for my own leave. Just remember why we're here and don't take things too far."

"Yes, Major," the others replied then left.

Jack watched them go, thoroughly amused, then went through his personal belongings and pulled out an envelope. He took the letter out and compared it to the generic calendar that hung on one of the walls, causing a grin to slowly take over his features. "Perfect," he muttered, then went on to start the rest of his arrangements.

Halfway through Monday morning found Jack maneuvering his way through a throng of people at the Hellenikos Airport heading for where a rental car was waiting for him. Normally he would have been content taking a taxi and letting someone else deal with the crazy traffic, but the previous night's phone call to a couple contacts in the area had changed the purpose of his visit to a more protective and much less pleasant one. Suspected terrorists eyeing up American tourists was not the kind of thing he wanted to hear, and the last thing he wanted to _do_ was draw attention to one particular pair. Since he was known to the group in question thanks to previous encounters in Eastern Europe, he couldn't take the chance of being seen with his friends - but _nothing_ was going to stop him from making sure they were okay.

Jack spent the afternoon discreetly following Daniel and Sam's movements from their arrival at their hotel on Saturday evening - only a few hours before Jack had received word of his unexpected three-day leave he realized with a smirk - through their sight-seeing tour of the less-touristy parts of the city, and finally to the Acropolis where they were at present. When he'd finished following the two graduate students' trail, he went to see one of his contacts. He was determined to confirm that Daniel and Sam hadn't attracted the wrong kind of attention.

"Is this seat taken?" he asked as he stepped up to a table at an outdoor café in the middle of the market district.

"No, feel free," the Greek man replied with a gesture toward the chair across from him.

Jack sat and met the other man's gaze. "How's the family?"

The other man smiled. "Out of town, fortunately. I'm enjoying my time alone, however short it may be."

"Then we can cut to the chase?" Jack asked, his volume dropping as he sat forward to rest his forearms on the table.

"Of course, O'Neill. What are you looking for now?"

"Looking isn't exactly the word I'd use, Andre." Jack couldn't help but frown slightly at the amused expression his contact wore. "Don't make me remind you who pulled your butt out of the safehouse in Prague before it was stormed by KGB agents."

Andre raised a bushy black eyebrow. "There is no need, O'Neill. I have every intention of helping you if I can. What is it you require?"

Jack sighed. "Information. What's going on with Kresky's group? Have they picked a target yet?"

The slightly older man leaned back in his chair, his smile fading. "No, not as of yet. And this worries me. They should have made their move by now."

"You're not exactly filling me with confidence here, Andre. I need to know my people are safe."

"I wish for your people's safety as well, O'Neill. What I can tell you is that they aren't on the list one of my contacts was able to see. It was only a small pile of secretly-taken photos, but none of them matched the description you gave me of the young man."

Jack ran a hand through his short-cropped hair. "I wish I could have given you a description of the woman he's supposed to be with."

Andre smiled. "Last-minute changes in plan are always troublesome, but you have said they will be spending almost all of their time together. If that is true, then it is very unlikely Kresky would have a picture of one without the other."

"Yeah, I know. It's the only thing keeping me from going completely crazy." Jack chuckled and shook his head. "I get the feeling these two are going to push that envelope on a regular basis though."

"I have agents like that as well, O'Neill. But they're the best I have. Don't try to protect them too much." Andre grinned. "You'll only hasten your descent into madness."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence," Jack said with a mock scowl. It cleared quickly. "But your information helps. Since they'll only be here until Saturday evening, I'm not as worried as I was before. I just hope they can stay under Kresky's radar until then."

Andre gave him a speculative look. "If you wish, O'Neill, I can arrange things so others draw Kresky's attention for certain. It would assure your people's safety."

Jack looked at him sharply. He was right; it would make sure Daniel and Sam never caught Kresky's eye. But would Daniel ever forgive him if he knew that Jack had sacrificed some other poor tourist for him? Somehow the major didn't think so. "I don't think that'll be necessary, Andre. Like you said, I can't protect them too much, and that might just be crossing the line." He glanced at his watch then up at the horizon. "I need to get going. But thanks for everything. You really were a big help." He stood and extended his hand.

The Greek man shook it. "You are more than welcome, O'Neill. And I would have done this for you even if you had not saved my life in Prague."

The two men parted ways shortly afterward, and Jack made his way to the base of the Acropolis, hoping to at least see his friends, even if it was only from a distance. Only after the sun had fully set did he finally catch sight of the young man he held in such high regard. He couldn't see Daniel or the blonde at his side very clearly, but he recognized the jacket the archaeologist wore from his visit to Florida. Jack was happy to see that the two of them were laughing. But just before they got within range and Jack would have finally been able to see what Sam looked like, a crowd of bubbly, happy people practically bum-rushed Daniel, all chattering at once as they completely surrounded him.

"Did you enjoy the Parthenon?"

"What was it like inside?"

"Did you get any pictures?"

"Where are you two going to be tomorrow?"

"What hotel are you staying at?"

"Can we get your number? We might have questions later."

"Hold it!" Daniel cried, waving his hands to get their attention and a word in edgewise. "While I'm very flattered that you enjoyed my stories about the Acropolis and the Parthenon, Sam and I just want to go back to our hotel and get ready for dinner. We have a lot more vacation left; I'm sure we'll run into some of you later in the week. If we do, I'll talk to you then."

Jack was impressed. What should have been a harsh reprimand came out as a gentle but firm request to allow him some space. And obviously the twenty-odd people thought the same thing. They stepped back a bit and wished him and Sam good night, hoping they'd have a good time at dinner and whatever else they were planning on for the rest of their evening. Daniel waved and put his free arm around someone's shoulder, starting to lead her away. _Ah, that must be Sam_, Jack thought, perking up at the thought of putting a face to the name at last.

As the pair passed the shadow Jack had hidden himself in to keep from being seen, the major frowned. Sam had covered most of her face with her hand, burying most of what was left into Daniel's shoulder. Jack could just make out the muffled giggles she was struggling to keep under control without much success. He sighed. Apparently it just wasn't meant to be quite yet.

A quick look at his watch put the military man into action. He headed back to his rental car and drove to the airport. After returning the vehicle, Jack barely made it to the gate in time to catch his return flight, the very last person to board the plane. He grinned to himself as he listened to the traditional pre-flight safety lecture. Daniel and Sam were safe and having a good time, and he just might get back in time to watch the rest of his team make asses of themselves on their last day of leave. Yeah, it was all good.

* * *

After watching the sunset on the Acropolis and somehow managing to enjoy a quiet meal at a small restaurant near their hotel alone, Sam and Daniel went to one of the dance clubs in the city, where the blonde woman was surprised to find that her friend liked to dance - and wasn't even all that bad at it. They left, sweaty and laughing, a little after two o'clock in the morning. Neither of them noticed the nudges and smirks the bouncers at the front door shared as they passed them. 

The next two days involved a lot of sight seeing per their itinerary and a lot of playing tour guide to members of Daniel's impromptu tour group from the Acropolis. They were never sure how, but somehow one or another of the other tourists would manage to find out where they were going to be and spread the word. Usually within ten minutes of their arrival Daniel would be politely giving another lecture about one of the wonders of Athens until such time as he would nicely but firmly tell everyone that he and Sam either had an appointment to keep or wanted to get some dinner. Then the group would cheerfully say goodbye until they were sighted once again at another famous attraction.

By Thursday morning Sam had had enough. Her blue-grey eyes darted from side to side, anxiously watching for any of the now-familiar tourists that seemed to be dodging their every move. Daniel noted her distraction, but wasn't sure what was causing it and didn't want to ask. They had a late breakfast then headed to the Museum of Greek Popular Musical Instruments. They had walked through a couple of the exhibits and were listening to a sample of music at a third when Sam's vigilance paid off. She caught sight of an older red-headed woman, one of the more vocal and boisterous members of the tour group, and tensed up, her eyes wide. The next thing Daniel knew, she had grabbed him firmly by the shoulders and shoved them both into a tiny storage closet a few feet from where they'd been standing.

"Um, Sam," Daniel began once the door to the closet had been carefully closed and total darkness had descended on the pair, "what's going on?"

"Shh!" Sam quickly reprimanded in a harsh whisper. "She's out there!"

"Who?" Daniel whispered in return.

"The redhead. I think her name is Jodi."

The archaeologist blinked as things suddenly clicked for him. He remembered Jodi as a loud woman with two even louder daughters who couldn't stop asking which college he was attending. It seemed her girls were about to graduate from high school, and she wanted to be sure they went to the kind of school that produced the kind of intelligent, well-mannered, and _attractive_ students Daniel's university apparently did. He didn't know how he'd done it, but so far he'd managed to avoid mentioning the University of Chicago, although the Oriental Institute, where he worked with Doctor Jordan, had slipped out a few times. He really didn't want to lie, but he also didn't want to get roped into playing mentor to Jenny and Jill, the two heavily made-up teenagers with incredibly poofed-out hair kept that way with far too much hairspray for any two individuals.

The other thing he noticed was that the size of the space Sam had crammed them into had forced them into incredibly close contact with one another. Their chests were pressed together, and Sam's hair was tickling his nose. He could smell she'd put on a splash of her favorite rose-scented perfume, which made quite a heady combination with the lingering fragrance of strawberries from the shampoo she'd used that morning. Daniel took a deep breath and rested his cheek against her hair, thinking that the man that ended up with this beautiful woman was going to be a lucky one indeed.

On Sam's part, she didn't notice her situation with Daniel until after she was satisfied that Jodi had gone past. She didn't dare go back out quite yet, however. She had a terrible feeling that the older woman was deliberately looking for them, and she hadn't caught sight of either of the overbearing lady's daughters. They had been trolling for Daniel since they met him, and she was going to do what she could to make sure they didn't get their hooks into him.

When she felt Daniel's sigh and his cheek rest against the side of her head, Sam suddenly became aware of just how much of her body was pressed against his. He wasn't as toned as some of the military men she'd been exposed to, but he was filling out nicely as the years went by. She smiled at the thought. It was too easy to think of the young man as the gangly boy that had been her childhood friend. And now with his tall, filled out frame, beautiful blue eyes, and kind, giving personality... Well, Sam could only hope to find a man like Daniel one day. With a sigh she let her head rest against the brown-haired man's shoulder.

The two of them spent a silent five minutes that way before Daniel took a deep breath and released it, sending the top of Sam's hair fluttering. "Do you think it's safe yet?" he asked quietly.

"Only one way to find out, I guess," Sam whispered a little hesitantly.

Her fingers had just started to brush the closet door handle when a loud brash voice had them both jumping back as much as possible in the tiny space. "Jenny? Jill? Have you seen that wonderful Daniel yet?"

_Oh, crap_, they both thought, _she's right outside the door_.

"No, Mother!" was the echoed response, one half coming from opposite ends of the hall the exhibit they'd been looking at had been in the middle of.

"I could have sworn the cabbie said this is where he'd dropped them off," Jodi mused, still loud enough for anyone in the hall to hear clearly. "And I thought real American money would make sure the information was accurate."

"Mother, when are we going to get lunch?" Jenny - or was it Jill? - whined, her tone rising into a sound that rivaled fingernails scraping across a blackboard.

An explosive sigh and thump against the closet door the hidden pair could feel in their teeth was the response. "I suppose we can get some food," Jodi begrudgingly conceded, sounding thoroughly disappointed. "We've already looked everywhere they could be hiding here." There was a brief pause punctuated by the sound of creaking wood presumably caused by the larger woman taking her weight off the door. "And maybe we'll find that nice Kevin. He said he was going to be looking for them at the Greek Folk Art Museum. Come along, girls."

Sam and Daniel waited until they could no longer hear the three sets of heavy footsteps before the blonde woman reached for the doorknob again. She twisted it and pushed... and nothing happened. She tried again, rattling the knob in the hopes that would free it. Again, nothing.

"Uh, Sam, what's happening?"

"It won't open," Sam said through gritted teeth as she tried to put more of her weight into the next attempt.

"What?" Daniel asked, startled. "Let me try."

They twisted and turned, sliding against each other in a way that would have been deemed erotic had there been a witness or had the situation not been as desperate for the trapped duo. Finally, they positioned themselves so Daniel was able to grab the handle and Sam was pressed against his back. He gave the piece of metal a tentative shake then practically twisted his whole body in an attempt to turn it with enough force to make the door open. Still nothing.

Daniel sighed and let his forehead thump against the door. "This isn't happening. It _can't_ be."

Sam leaned heavily against the back wall, her head bumping it a bit harder than the rest of her. "I think Jodi jammed it when she flopped against it." It was her turn to sigh. "So what do we do now?"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, Sam."

"Oh, you're not serious."

"Can you think of something better?"

Sam hesitated for a long moment. "No," she admitted grudgingly.

"Then on three. One, two, three."

"Help!" they both cried.

Five minutes later, thanks to the combination of both their voices and the pounding of Daniel's fists on the door, the door sprung open, and they nearly tumbled out at the feet of their savior, a teenage boy with wide brown eyes and a thoroughly confused expression. "Ha, ha, Daniel, you kidder," Sam said stiffly, wearing a fake smile as she mock-punched Daniel's shoulder. "Too bad that little joke blew up in your face."

Daniel's eyes narrowed slightly at Sam's lame cover story. "Let's just look at the rest of the exhibits and get going. Jodi might decide to come back." As they walked away they could hear the boy snickering, obviously having recovered his composure enough to see the humor. Daniel blushed furiously and hurried Sam along.

* * *

A few hours and a quiet lunch later, Sam and Daniel were wandering around the market district looking through the shops before heading to another museum. This time they were both keeping an eye out for Daniel's fan club, almost to the level of paranoia. "I'm sorry," Sam said for the seventh time since they'd left the musical instrument museum. 

"I know," Daniel replied. "And I already told you you're forgiven."

"But I embarrassed you."

"You were embarrassed, too." Daniel stopped in his tracks and sighed. "Sam, think about it for a second, would you? We got trapped in a closet trying to hide from a few overzealous tourists. Don't you see that as remotely ridiculous?"

Sam stared at him for a long moment before she finally saw the corners of his mouth twitching upward. Her own smile burst forth. "It was pretty silly, wasn't it? I can't believe we got stuck!"

They both started to laugh. "I think I will always remember the look on that kid's face when we nearly landed on his shoes," Daniel said through his chuckles.

"Me too!"

"And I think I feel sorry for Kevin, too."

Sam was about to respond when something caught her eye, making her breath catch. She grabbed Daniel's arm and pushed him into the middle of the clothing rack they'd been standing next to. "It's Victor," she hissed, pulling him into a crouch that hid the top of his head.

Daniel peeked out between the hangers and saw the Italian man Sam was referring to. He cringed. The man was always the last one to accept any excuse he and Sam used to get away from the tour group and always asked about what hotel they were staying at. This was not someone he wanted to see them. "So what do we do now?"

"Well, at least we can't get trapped in here like we did at the museum," Sam muttered, frowning in thought. She looked out between the hangers in a different direction. When she finally registered the stall she was looking at she grinned as an idea struck her. "I've got it. We just have to get to a certain vendor without being seen."

"Should I be nervous?" Daniel asked suspiciously. He could see the cunning expression on her face.

"Of course not," she scoffed a bit too quickly. She actually wasn't sure how Daniel was going to react to her idea, but since it wouldn't hurt either one of them she figured she could talk him into it. Besides, it would be fun.

Twenty minutes and a bit of haggling on Daniel's part later saw two outlandishly dressed tourists come striding out of a clothing vendor's booth, the woman with incredibly teased black hair swinging a pair of bags widely to match her pace. The man with mid-back length, bleach-blond hair tied back in a loose ponytail walking beside her adjusted his large sunglasses and his skin-tight, stonewashed blue jeans before taking her free hand and leading her away. They both heard an amazing assortment of curses fall from the lips of an irritated Italian man as they passed him. "Where did the two of them go?" the olive-skinned man muttered darkly. "I was seeing them here among the clothing just a little bit of time ago."

"I can't believe you talked me into this," the blond man whispered into the dark-haired woman's ear once they were well past the fuming man. "I really want to button up this shirt."

"You'll just draw attention to yourself now," the woman said between the open-mouthed chewing of a piece of gum. "Let's just go to the next place on our list. No one will recognize us now." She shook her shoulders a bit, minutely adjusting her baggy, off-the-shoulder white peasant blouse.

The man sighed and fiddled with the collar of the red shirt that was halfway open. "Come on, Sam..." She interrupted him with a sharp cough. He sighed. "Fine, Mandy. Let me at least close a _couple_ of the buttons."

She gave him a bright smile that made him want to see the look in her eyes behind the sunglasses she wore. He knew he'd find an impish twinkle there. "Now, D.J., that's not the attitude to have here. You've acted before. Just consider this one more role."

"It was the only way to get an "A" in that acting class!" he protested in a harsh whisper.

"And you earned that "A". Now you get to _use_ it." She grinned unrepentantly and led him away.

Later on, Daniel had to admit Sam had been right about their new identities. As D.J., the New York private investigator, he hadn't been recognized once, and had found his sarcastic wit - enhanced by a Brooklyn accent he had dredged up from his time living in Manhattan - coming to the forefront without even thinking about it. A few of the comments he'd made to the people that had been dogging his sight-seeing the last two days brought a blush to his cheeks when he thought about them, but had made the Californian flight attendant with the Valley Girl accent giggle as she chewed continuously on her gum. Sam had whispered to him as the both of them had been changing originally that there were a couple students at Stanford she was planning on using for her persona, girls she was sure were attending the university only because Daddy's money said they could.

Sam had thoroughly enjoyed herself that afternoon, but was happy to put Mandy and D.J. away when she and Daniel went to another night club that evening. She figured she had dropped enough hints about she and Daniel going to the ancient Agora all afternoon the next day so that they could enjoy their last full day relaxing on the beach without any interruptions. They again talked, laughed, and danced the night away.

The beach ended up being as relaxing as they'd both hoped, and they spent the rest of their day wandering around off the beaten path, checking out shops that tourists rarely went to. Daniel's command of the Greek language was invaluable, even if he wouldn't explain why he tended to end up blushing after talking with the clerks on their way back to the street. They had another quiet meal, and strolled along the beach one more time under the moonlight. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.

Their last day in Athens was spent picking up all the souvenirs they'd avoided buying the rest of the week. They had their film developed so as not to take the chance of an X-ray machine wiping out a roll, since both of them wanted to take home as many memories as they could from this wonderful place. Basically, they took care of all the little touristy errands they hadn't wanted to do previously. But the time for their flight home came ever closer, and finally, after one last dinner at the restaurant they'd had their first meal in Athens, the two friends left for the airport, knowing they'd always treasure the week they'd shared.


	19. Chapter 19

ANs: Thanks to everyone who's been patiently waiting for this chapter. I'll try to update as soon as I can, and I guarantee that no matter how much time goes between chapters, I won't abandon this story. I've got far too much invested in it to quit - and I think I'd have a riot on my hands! So, for now, enjoy - and on with the show!

* * *

Chapter Nineteen

* * *

"Dear Daniel, 

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm afraid Jack was injured on his last mission. His parachute didn't open and he fractured his skull. Apparently it's been almost two weeks since it happened. I'm not sure about the rest, or why his recovery is supposed to take as long as I've been told, but I think you understand the classified nature of his work.

"I know you must be busy getting ready for your trip to Wales this summer, and Jack said something about you possibly going out to California for a friend's graduation, but please take a little time and write to Jack. He's going stir crazy over there. The tone in his voice has screamed that during the couple of phone calls he's made, even if he didn't say the words. I think he's trying to keep me from worrying about him.

"Daniel, did something happen while you were in Athens? Jack hasn't gotten a letter from you since you left to go on your spring break, and he keeps asking me if I've gotten anything. I don't know what has him so worried. Don't you usually send your letters directly to him? I've only received the few you've sent here, usually with the presents you've mailed.

"Thinking of presents, Charlie really liked the building blocks you sent him for his birthday. How did you get them to look so much like the old stone blocks they used to build the pyramids? I read him the story you sent along that explained how they were built; I wish I'd had a camera to capture the look of fascination he had on his face. Mind you, that could have been the tone of my voice, but I'd prefer to give credit where credit is due. That, and I found it pretty fascinating myself. You do know how to tell a good story, Daniel.

"I hope things went well for you and your friend in Athens. You didn't have to send the package early; I think it would have made it here on time even if you'd waited until you got back. But thank you for the consideration. I only wish Jack could have been here. At least he was for Christmas. He was right - being a day late didn't matter. I should have seen that. He was home and he was safe. Which is more than I can say at the moment.

"I'd better stop now before I depress you. Good luck on your trips, and be sure to let us all know how you're doing from time to time. Thank you in advance for putting Jack's mind at ease. I know you will.

"Sincerely,

"Sara O'Neill"

* * *

Sam fidgeted with the sleeves of her graduation gown as she waited for the lengthy speech the dean was giving to finish before the graduates would be announced. She'd spotted her father in the front row of the crowd as she'd walked by during the students' entrance, her heart breaking one more time when she remembered that Daniel couldn't be there. It was one of the few times she regretted Stanford's quarter system over the traditional semesters and summer sessions other universities usually used. It had pushed her commencement date to the middle of June, and her friend was already in Wales as part of the archaeological dig he'd signed up for. 

Finally, forty-five minutes later, all the speeches were over and Sam had her masters degree in hand. "I hope you understand just how proud of you I am," Jacob said as he engulfed his daughter in a hearty embrace.

Sam returned it enthusiastically. "I do, Dad, and it means a lot. I'm glad you could be here."

"I worked out this particular leave months ago. I wasn't about to miss my little girl getting her degree." He grinned at her. "So what's next?"

"Summer session of ROTC," Sam replied, then laughed at the scowl her answer produced. "And then I start work on my doctorate in the fall. I'm hoping to get some of my preliminary research done for my thesis before September."

"Well, don't work too hard. Summers are supposed to be fun. Have you heard anything from Daniel?"

Sam shook her head. "Just the letter he sent right before he left. It came with a cute little drawing of me on my tip-toes reaching for a ring that's just past my fingertips. The caption underneath says 'The Brass Ring Is Almost Yours'."

Jacob chuckled. "That sounds like something Daniel would send you."

"Yeah, well, it beats the teasing he added in his letter. Reminded me I was still a doctorate, masters, and bachelors degree behind him." Sam frowned. "Makes me glad I double majored at the Academy," she grumbled.

"Daniel really has figured out which buttons to push, hasn't he?" Jacob asked, laughing. "Come on. Let me treat you to lunch." The two of them left the auditorium, Sam waving at a couple of friends as they did.

After their meal the two of them spent the afternoon touring Palo Alto, Sam pointing out some of the better sights. Father and daughter also shared supper that evening before separating so Jacob could finish unpacking the bags he left in his hotel room. They arranged to meet for breakfast at the restaurant just off the lobby of the hotel and said good night with a final hug.

Sam had just settled into her comfy armchair with a large glass of lemonade and a book when her phone rang. Her brows furrowed in confusion as she answered it. "Hello?"

"Sam? Is that you?"

"Daniel!" Sam cried with a sudden grin.

A muffled crackling dimmed Daniel's chuckle. "I _did_ get all the numbers right then. How are you doing?"

"Great. I had a good day today. I spent the afternoon showing Dad around town." She paused and frowned slightly. "Wait a minute. Isn't it something like five o'clock in the morning where you are?"

She could hear a slightly embarrassed clearing of the throat before Daniel responded. "Well, yeah. But I was up anyway."

Sam blinked. "Why on Earth would you be up so early?"

"I've been volunteering to help out the farmer that's letting us use one of his outbuildings to camp in since the dig borders his property. It's right next to the site. Besides, I wanted to congratulate you."

"Oh, Daniel, you didn't have to do that. You should have slept in."

This time Daniel's chuckle was clearer. "I only would have gotten maybe another hour. This is more than worth it, trust me. So, how did the commencement go?"

Sam grinned. "Oh, you know, same old music, boring speeches, long line to get to the stage. I wish you could have been here for it."

"Me too, Sam. But your dad was there?"

"Yeah. He said he arranged his leave a long time ago for this. It really made me feel good."

"What about Mark and Julie?"

Sam sighed, her smile fading. "They couldn't make it. Mark sent me a letter saying he had a company function this weekend he couldn't afford to miss if he was serious about promotion opportunities."

"I'm sorry, Sam," Daniel said quietly. Sam could just picture the sympathetic look on his face. "Now I really wish I could have been there."

"No, it's okay," Sam refuted, forcing her tone to be lighter. "My dad was here, and you called. It's still been a good day." She took a deep breath and released it. "Have you heard anything from Jack lately?"

There was a little bit of a pause before Daniel allowed the subject change. "Yeah, last week. He's on light duty for a while, and he's not happy about it. He says he's just fine and wants to get back to work. If they're going to coddle him they should just send him home."

Sam laughed. "He doesn't sound like a very good patient," she noted.

"I'd hate to be his doctor," Daniel agreed. "It scared me a bit when I got that letter from Sara. But she was right about Jack wanting to hear from me. The last letter I got before I left Chicago had a page and a half worth of ranting about doing a better job of keeping in contact." He laughed softly. "He apologized for that in this letter. Seems he finally got the letter I wrote as soon as I got home from Athens. Of course, then he had to gripe about the military mail system."

"Oh, of course," Sam said with a smile. "I'd be more surprised if he didn't."

"There's that." Daniel sighed. "I wish I could talk longer, but I need to get back to the dig site and do some preparations for what we're working on today. That, and I'm not sure how much more my credit card can take."

Sam's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I'm charging this on one of my cards. I wasn't about to let my host pay for it, even though he offered when he heard why I wanted to call. It was nice of him though."

"Yes, it was." She sighed. "I guess I'll say goodbye then, Daniel. Thank you so much for calling. And thanks for the picture. I didn't need the ribbing you gave me in your letter, but I guess I can live with it."

Daniel laughed. "I thought that might get you. Thanks for taking it in the spirit it was intended. And I'm glad you had a good day. I'll write again soon."

"You better. Bye, Daniel. Have a good day."

"Bye, Sam. Pleasant dreams."

Sam hung up the receiver and gave it a smile. Only Daniel would have gone out of his way like that to congratulate her. She snuggled back into her chair and went back to her book, the warmth from her friend's gesture making her smile linger for a long time afterward.

* * *

Time went by at its usual pace, fall semester seeing Sam and Daniel throwing themselves once again into their schoolwork and Jack once again into the field. That December, Daniel finished his anthropology masters as planned, and Jack was at the graduation ceremony as promised. After it was over, the Air Force major waited for Daniel to finish speaking to one of his professors before coming up to offer his own congratulations. 

"This makes three, doesn't it?" Jack asked, grinning.

Daniel returned the expression. "Masters degrees, yes."

Jack shook his head. "And I thought it was hard enough to get just one."

Daniel chuckled. "It's good to see you, Jack."

Jack pulled him into a brief, tight squeeze before pushing him back and looking the student over critically. "It's good to see you, too, but don't you eat anything? You look... skinny."

"I _am_ skinny," Daniel said. "There's not much I can do about that. I have more important things to do than spend all my free time pumping iron in the gym."

"You don't have to do _that_," Jack said with a touch of distaste. "But eating would do a world of wonders."

"I eat, Jack, I promise." He looked around the auditorium briefly then sighed. "And speaking of which, why don't we get some lunch?"

Jack's brows furrowed. "There's nothing else you have to do?"

Daniel was about to answer when an out-of-breath blur crashed into him, nearly knocking him over. "Oh, God, Daniel, I'm sorry! I meant to be here earlier, and then I got a call from Arizona and it took longer than I was expecting, and..."

"Whoa, Mel! Slow down!" Daniel said to the babbling brunette in his arms. He gave her a hug and pushed her back to arm's length.

"I'm sorry I missed the commencement," Mel said softly.

Daniel chuckled and shook his head. "It sounds like you had a good reason."

"Depends on who was calling from Arizona," Jack interjected.

Mel scowled at the older man for a moment before her expression turned confused. "And you are..." Her voice trailed off questioningly.

Jack didn't even bother to hold back his smile. "The name's Jack O'Neill. You may have heard of me."

The brunette returned the expression, an impish twinkle flaring up in her eyes. "I may have heard the name once or twice," she conceded.

"Do I need to make formal introductions then?" Daniel asked, amusement lighting his features as he looked between his two friends.

"Oh, heavens no. The name's Melisande Severin, dear sir," Mel announced with a horribly fake southern accent. "But you... you can call me Mel." She offered a hand, palm down.

"Why thank you, little lady," Jack returned, his southern accent even worse. He took the offered appendage and kissed the back of her hand.

Daniel rolled his eyes. "You guys are going to make me throw up."

The other two just laughed.

A throat being cleared behind him made Daniel turn around. "Um, excuse me," the newcomer said awkwardly, pushing his turtle shell-colored, plastic-framed glasses further up his nose. His shaggy black mop atop his head threatened to fall into his face. "Uh, Daniel, I don't mean to interrupt, but I want to say congratulations for getting your anthropology masters. Oh, and thanks. I really appreciate what you're doing for me."

"You're doing me the favor, Robert," Daniel said a touch shyly, a light blush creeping across his cheeks. "I should be thanking you."

"No, no, you don't have to do that," Robert said quickly, his eyes darting nervously over to Jack and Mel. "But I'm, uh, interrupting. You go ahead and spend time with your friends. Just, um, congratulations." The young man left hurriedly before Daniel could say anything more.

"So who in the world was that?" Jack asked, staring off after the disappearing student.

Daniel shrugged. "That's Robert Rothman. He's going to be my research assistant while I work on my anthropology and linguistics doctorates."

Jack's eyebrows rose. "You're accepting help? Whatever happened to the paper not being yours if you didn't do all the work yourself?"

Daniel sighed. "I believe I said that it wouldn't really be mine if I went to my professors every time I had a question. This is different."

"All Robert's going to do is Daniel's legwork, really," Mel explained. "Daniel will tell Robert what he needs, and Robert will dig it up."

"Why don't _you_ do that for him?" Jack asked the lean brunette.

Mel's eyebrows rose. "Do I really need to list the reasons?" She sighed when the questioning look never left the older man's face. "One, my specialty's in geology, not in anthropology or linguistics. Basically, unless Daniel could tell me specifically what book or resource he needed, I'd probably be lost. Two, I have my own doctorate to work on, thank you very much. And since I'm not a genius like Daniel, I have a long, hard road ahead of me. As in, three or four more years, depending on my specialty. Three, and this is the most important thing, I absolutely _despise_ book research. I hate doing my own, much less anyone else's. I know it's important, I know it's vital, I know there's no way around it, but give me a hands-on site anytime. Too many words and my eyes cross." She made a disgusted face.

Daniel smirked. "That answer your question?"

Jack sighed. "Yeah, I guess."

"What exactly do you have against Robert, anyway? He didn't even talk to you."

"Well..." Jack hedged, flinching slightly under the piercing blue gaze of his best friend. "Aw, gees, Daniel, he's a geek. A total bookworm. Just... not my type of guy."

"Jack, _I'm_ a bookworm. And I can't count how many times you've referred to me as a geek in your letters." Daniel's eyebrows lifted as he waited to see how his friend was going to dig himself out of this hole.

Jack squirmed uncomfortably. "That's only on the surface, Daniel. I know what kind of guy you are outside the books."

Daniel's expression grew extremely serious. "That's exactly the point. You don't know Robert, so you have no right to judge him. I'd really appreciate it if you wouldn't. You don't have to like him, or even want to get to know him at all, but _don't_ judge him."

Mel sighed sadly as Jack nodded. "All right, Daniel. No more names, no more judging. I didn't mean to bug you like that."

"I know you didn't, Jack," Daniel said with a small smile, telling the other man he was forgiven. "Just keep it in mind for the future, okay? Who knows what kind of person is hiding underneath the mask?"

"You know, I didn't realize you'd become such good friends with Robert," Mel said thoughtfully, looking off in the direction the man in question had gone.

Daniel shook his head. "Oh, I'm not, not really. We mainly just talk about school and work, things like that. He got his bachelors degree in anthropology this last spring and now is going for a masters in physical anthropology. We'll see where he goes from there."

Mel gave him a knowing look. "I told you being more social would be good for you. Thanks to your new research assistant you won't have to always have your nose buried in a book."

"Not that he won't be doing that anyway," Jack said, his smile as knowing as Mel's. "How many papers do you have published now, fifteen, twenty?"

"Oh, please," Daniel replied with a roll of his eyes. "It's only three."

"That were all quite well received if I remember correctly," Mel added, grinning proudly.

Daniel shifted his gaze between his two friends and gave them a mock scowl. "Could we just go get something to eat?" he complained, his eyes twinkling with appreciation of the pair's approval of his work even as subtly as it was expressed.

Jack threw an arm around his shoulders while Mel wrapped an arm around his waist. "Sure!" they said in unison before dragging him off.

Once they were out in the parking lot after having forced their way through the crowd, ignoring Daniel's numerous protests, Jack dragged them to a halt and looked around. "So where to now?" he asked the woman on the other side of the scowling graduate.

"Oh, I know just the place. There's a restaurant not far from here that has the best chicken salad," Mel replied with an impish grin.

"Uh, guys? What about where I might want to go?" Daniel protested.

"Do they have anything involving beef? I'm hungry enough to eat a whole side of cow," Jack said, again ignoring Daniel. Mel nodded enthusiastically.

Daniel sighed, the corners of his mouth beginning to twitch upward. "You got kicked out the last time we were there," he reminded the young lady pinning his right arm to his side with her body. He probably could have pulled it free, but the body parts involved would have left him blushing furiously and a major target for teasing.

Jack's brows furrowed and leaned forward to look the woman in the eye. "Is he right?" Mel shrugged. "Then why did you suggest it?"

"It's been more than enough time; I'm sure they'll let me back in. It's not like it's the first time I've been kicked out. In fact, I think this makes nine all together."

"Oh, well if that's all." Jack again started dragging the three of them off while Daniel just shook his head. The three of them proceeded to have an amazingly fun time.

* * *

Late the next March, Sam sat at her desk finishing up some of her ROTC paperwork. It was tedious and repetitious, basically a general pain in the tush. She brightened when she realized she only had one form to go; she'd brought along a letter she'd just received that morning from Daniel that she hadn't had a chance to read yet, and was hoping to get to before her shift was over. 

The door chimes rang, making Sam instinctually raise her head. She smiled when she heard two male voices conversing, although she couldn't make out exact words. Sergeant Michael Walters was the secretary for San Juan's ROTC program. She couldn't help but enjoy the irony of a man in a traditionally female role in the military. She also couldn't help but wonder who the man had pissed off so royally as to scrape up this particular assignment.

Sam finished her paperwork for the day then totally forgot everything involving the office around her as she let herself get absorbed in the multi-paged letter her best friend had sent her. She smiled when she read about how Mel was doing at the university in Arizona where she'd transferred to finish her geology doctorate, shaking her head at the outlandish quote he'd shared. Mel was definitely a piece of work. The blonde had to laugh out loud when Daniel shared the trouble he was having with a group of freshmen girls who wouldn't stop following him around the library every time he needed to go there. What made it even more amusing was that he didn't seem to understand why they were doing it. He just didn't get how attractive he was.

Sam sighed and shook her head. She really shouldn't think of Daniel that way. It didn't matter how attractive he was or wasn't; he was her friend, her best friend. She'd nearly wrecked their friendship once because she'd let herself think that way about him, even if it was just a spur of the moment thing. Forcefully pushing such thoughts to the back of her mind, she went back to reading the letter.

It was time for her to leave once she'd finished. Sam filled out her time sheet and headed for the front desk, the route so familiar she paid no attention to her steps as she put her books and Daniel's letter into her duffle bag as she walked. Thus it was that she was completely surprised when she crashed into a warm body before she could reach the reception desk. "Sorry about that," she blurted, quickly scrambling to grab her bag that had slipped off her shoulder to the floor.

"No, no, that's okay," a male voice responded. "I should have been paying more attention."

"No, I wasn't watching where..." Sam's voice trailed off as she straightened to her full height, her duffle once again on her shoulder. She quickly took in the Air Force uniform, medium brown hair, rugged features, square chin, and bright hazel eyes that held a spark of danger in them. Her breath caught for a moment, then she shook her head and smiled. "I was putting my books away and wasn't watching where I was going. Guess I'm too used to being the last one out of here." She stuck out her hand. "Lieutenant Sam Carter."

"It's nice to meet you, Lieutenant Carter," the man replied with a matching expression. "I'm Lieutenant Jonas Hanson. I've just been assigned here to assist Captain Bruckner for the next six months. I was just finishing up my initial paperwork."

Sam's smile got wider. "I'm assisting Captain Mancini while I'm going to Stanford for my doctorate in theoretical astrophysics. Guess we'll be working together, at least for the next quarter."

If anything, Hanson's smile just got sexier in Sam's opinion. "Looks like. Guess there _are_ some perks to this assignment after all. I'm off duty until tomorrow morning; would you like to grab something to eat?"

"That actually sounds really good."

"I hope you're okay with motorcycles. It was such a nice day today I left my car at my apartment."

Sam grinned wickedly. "And _that_ sounds even better. Lay on, MacDuff." She gestured toward the front door as she tossed her time sheet on the vacant reception desk. She never saw the slightly confused look her last comment generated.

Jonas held the door open for her then waited for her to lock it. "Any suggestions for dinner?"

"There's a nice Italian place close to campus. It's only a few blocks away."

"Italian it is then."

The two of them made their way quickly to the newcomer's motorcycle where Jonas stored Sam's duffle in one of the saddlebags, then the two of them were off. Both were extremely happy with the evening, and looked forward to spending more time together. They were sure it was the start of a beautiful friendship.

* * *

May came quickly that year. Daniel was more than happy to see it come, as he'd successfully defended his doctorate dissertation and would be receiving his doctorates in anthropology and linguistics at the spring commencement. Sam had sent along her congratulations, her conflicting schedule not allowing her to be there for the event. Mel had done the same, the geologist unable to afford the airfare from Arizona. Jacob had also backed out at the last minute due to an emergency he was unable to go into because of its classified status. 

Daniel sighed as he sat in the auditorium waiting for the speeches to end and the graduates to be called. He already knew Jack couldn't be there; his friend had warned him he'd be on a long-term assignment at least until August and wouldn't be able to write again until then. Sara had sent a letter of congratulations in his stead, and included a finger painting Charlie had made of himself digging in the dirt like the boy's father had told him his uncle Daniel did for a living. It was now in a frame on his desk, and Daniel smiled whenever he looked at it. Jack's family had also sent along their well wishes, and all the letters he'd received ended up being quite overwhelming. He never suspected that many people cared.

The announcement of the spring semester graduates brought Daniel back to the present. He went up to the stage when his name was called, accepting his degrees with a smile and a handshake. As he started to walk back to his seat, his gaze wandered over the crowd, stopping on a lone figure standing in the back near the doors. He froze in amazement for a moment, moving on when the graduate behind him cleared his throat in irritation.

Jack was here? Why? What was wrong? Questions drowned out the rest of the ceremony, leaving Daniel seated while the rest of the throng stood and milled about afterward. He jumped when someone took the seat next to him.

"Easy, Daniel. I don't bite. Unless I have to that is."

Daniel turned his head and gave his friend a quizzical look. "Um, don't take this the wrong way, but why are you here? I thought you were on assignment until August."

Jack shot a quick glance around them then stood and gestured for Daniel to follow. "Not here. I can't tell you much, and it can't be here in public."

"Okay, Jack." Daniel rose to his feet and prepared to do as requested.

"Daniel!" a voice called, quickly followed by a man in formal professor's robes hurrying over. "I'm glad I could catch you before you left. Congratulations." He offered his hand to shake.

Daniel smiled as he took the offer. "Thanks, Doctor Jordan. That means a lot coming from you." He pointed to his unexpected friend. "I don't think I've ever had a chance to introduce you to my friend Jack O'Neill. Jack, this is my mentor, Doctor David Jordan."

The two men shook hands and shared a polite smile. "A pleasure to finally meet one of the close friends Daniel's told me all about," Doctor Jordan said. "I'm glad you could be here on such an important day for him."

Jack nodded. "I'm glad too. I didn't think I was going to be able to make it."

"But you're here, and that's all that matters." Jordan turned his attention back to Daniel, missing the way Jack's face closed off at the comment. "When you come in next Monday, the Reynolds collection should be ready to be sorted and catalogued. I thought I'd give you fair warning."

"I've been waiting for that," Daniel said with a touch of excitement. "The funerary urns Andrew Reynolds was rumored to have found outside of Karnak are supposed to be incredible."

"I knew you'd like that." Doctor Jordan glanced over at Jack who was unconsciously looking over the crowd a bit impatiently. "Well, I should make the rounds before everyone leaves," he said with a sigh. "You have a good time with your friend, and I'll see you on Monday."

Daniel nodded, also glancing over at Jack who gave him a short smile. "All right, Doctor Jordan. Thanks for all your support."

Jordan grinned. "You're more than worth it, Daniel. I'll talk to you later." He nodded at Jack and moved on to another group of students.

Daniel turned his attention to Jack. "We can go back to my apartment if you want."

"That should be fine," Jack replied, relief just touching his eyes.

"What can you tell me, Jack?" Daniel asked a while later as he handed his guest a full, steaming coffee mug.

Jack took it and leaned back in his seat on the couch. "Not much." He took a small drink and sighed. "I lost over half my team."

The simple statement made Daniel's jaw drop. "Half? How?" he asked after he pulled himself together.

"We ended up in the wrong place, and it was like walking into a hornet's nest." The shutters began to close over the major's expression.

"I don't understand. Did you take a wrong turn, get the wrong information?"

"We were exactly where we were told to be, and that's exactly where the enemy was waiting for us. My first instinct is to suspect a leak." And the shutters were closed completely.

Daniel gazed at his friend for a long, silent moment while he stared at his mug. "What are you going to tell Sara?"

Jack frowned but didn't look up. "I got home last week. Sara kept asking questions, said I'd feel better if I talked about it. She said she didn't need all the details, but maybe if I talked about how it all made me feel..." He snorted and shook his head, one corner of his mouth turned up in a sarcastic smirk. "Like that's going to bring anyone back. I couldn't take it anymore, and I knew you were graduating today, so I swung transport on a military plane and got here just in time to catch the ceremony. Congratulations, by the way."

"Thanks." Daniel's gaze dropped to his own coffee mug. Something was different about his friend, and he tried to think what it could be. He knew the deaths of his teammates bothered Jack quite a bit, even if he hadn't said so, but there was more to it than that. Normally Daniel would be able to pick up on the way to get through to Jack, to get to the heart of the matter and make the other man put it in perspective. This time Daniel wasn't so sure Jack even wanted him to try. Something about Jack O'Neill's time in Special Ops had started to harden that part of him.

"Hey, you okay?" Jack asked, his voice softer, more like the Jack O'Neill Daniel had known before. "You look like you're thinking too much."

"Maybe I am," Daniel conceded with a tiny smile. "You've changed."

Jack didn't even bother to play dumb. "I had to change. It's rough out there."

Daniel nodded, finally looking up from the hot liquid. "But you're here."

"Either in thought or in person I always will be. That's not how I've changed."

"I know." Daniel's smile grew. "Let's not worry about that anymore. You're here, and that's what counts. You'll fix the why later. Shall we get some lunch?"

Jack let his dark thoughts and emotions fall back in his mind and grinned. "That sounds great. And the triple doctor picks the restaurant."

Daniel shook his head as he took both mugs to the sink. "Triple doctor, Jack? Isn't that a bit immature?" He glanced over his shoulder with a smirk. "Even for you."

Jack gave him a haughty look. "It's an accurate description. You have three doctorates, Doctor Jackson. There are more letters after your name than there are _in_ mine."

"Okay, Jack, whatever you say. It's still not the correct terminology, but I don't feel like arguing the point with you." He brought Jack his coat then put on his own. "Let's go eat."

"Eating's good." Jack stood, slipped on his jacket, then took his friend into a brief, tight embrace. "No matter what happens in the future you stay safe, do you hear me? Stay safe." He stared at Daniel with an intensity that matched his sudden change in tone until the younger man nodded. His grin returned. "Good. Now that that's settled, let's go." He walked toward the door.

Daniel shook his head briefly then followed. He had a feeling that was the closest Jack was going to get to dealing with his emotions on this issue, but his friend should be all right. For now he'd just enjoy the unexpected company. The two of them then went out and had a great time.


	20. Chapter 20

ANs: Yes! Finally! My muse has decided to focus on this story again! Hoody hoo! As you can see, I'm just as excited as all of you to see this chapter completed - you have no idea how long it sat two-thirds finished on my computer. For all of you who have written reviews and added this story to your favorites and alerts, thank you. I don't know if I can say enough about how you inspired me to get back on track. It may have taken three years, but still... I do promise, no matter how long it takes, I _will_ finish this fic. I know where it's going and where it should end. I just have to get there. For now, enjoy the latest chapter of A Road Not Taken - this one's for you!

* * * * * * * *

Sam sat across from Jonas at the restaurant watching him peruse the menu with a small frown. She'd enjoyed the two months since she'd met him; they'd spent a lot of their free time together and discovered they could have fun that way. Sam smiled. There might even be more to what she felt for him than that, something she needed more time to figure out. She was hoping for the opportunity.

"What are you staring at?" Jonas asked, having looked up from his menu while Sam was lost in her thoughts. "Do I have something on my face?"

"What? No, no, of course not. I was just thinking."

Jonas smiled. "And can I safely assume those thoughts starred me in some way?"

Sam chuckled. "It might be safe to think that, yes."

Jonas' smile transformed into a grin. "Well then, you'll be happy to hear that the reason I can't seem to make up my mind about what to have for dinner is that I can't stop thinking about you, either."

"Yeah, that makes me happy," Sam said with a playful little shrug.

"I thought it might." The brown-haired man's expression grew serious. "It looks like I better ask you what I wanted to ask now instead of later."

Sam straightened and stared at him confused. "What did you want to ask me?"

Jonas sighed. "I _was_ going to wait until after your promotion ceremony tomorrow, to make it... legitimate. But since we're celebrating alone tonight... and you look so hot..." He let his eyes travel over what he could see of Sam's body, causing a slight flush to rise on her cheeks. "Sam, I'd really like to start seeing you seriously. You know, as in dating." He took a deep breath and fidgeted a bit with the napkin in his lap. Part of him noted the flabbergasted look on his companion's face. "I know you're going to be heading off to flight school and I'm going to Florida for Special Ops training, but there's just something between us I don't want to let go. I'm willing to give a long distance relationship a try if you are." He took another deep breath. "What do you say?"

Sam's jaw opened and closed a few times before she managed to find her voice. "Do you really mean it, Jonas? I mean, I've been wanting to see if there was a chance for more than friendship for a little while now, but..." Sam's words trailed off and she took a long drink from her water glass. "I'd love to go out with you, Jonas. I'd love to." She gave him a brilliant smile.

"Then it's settled," Jonas declared, thoroughly satisfied. "But we won't tell anyone until after your official promotion tomorrow, so neither of us gets into any trouble."

"Of course," Sam replied. Her smile faltered slightly. "Um, you do know my dad's going to be here tomorrow, don't you? He'll want to meet you."

Jonas blinked a few times. "General Carter's going to be here? I guess I never thought he'd make the time for it." He took a long pull from his bottle of beer while Sam's eyebrows shot up. "I mean, you said he'd try, but I didn't think he'd be able to pull it off."

Sam shook off the bad feeling his first comment had produced. "My dad and I are pretty close. It would take an emergency for him to not be here for both my promotion and my doctorate ceremonies." Her smile returned full force.

Her new boyfriend gave her a slightly condescending look. "I understand, Sam. Don't worry about it. Just... be a little clearer next time, okay? Meeting your girlfriend's dad shouldn't be a surprise."

"I didn't mean it to be. I'm sorry." Sam looked down at her plate, wondering when everything became her fault. She shook her head. Jonas couldn't have meant it that way; she was just imagining things, being a little too sensitive. He was just surprised her dad would be there, that's all.

Their waiter came to take their orders at that point, and Jacob's upcoming arrival was forgotten. They joked and teased like they normally did, their words now punctuated by the occasional tentative kiss or caress. At the end of the night, Jonas left her at her apartment door tingling from a long, lingering hold that connected everything from their lips to their intertwined legs as closely as possible without taking off their clothes. She watched him go with a bright light in her eyes, knowing she'd found someone special. She only wished he could have come in, but he'd been right when he'd said it was too dangerous. If anyone would happen to see him leaving in the morning before her official promotion, a nitpicking superior could get them both in trouble for breaking regulations. After the next day's ceremony she'd be the same rank, and there would be no problems. Sam sighed and slipped inside. She couldn't wait.

* * * * * * * *

Nothing unusual or spectacular happened at the military ceremony the next day, much to Sam's secret disappointment. She couldn't help but feel something should have since it marked her freedom to be with Jonas openly. She had talked with her superior officer earlier in the day about her intentions and had received permission and the man's personal blessing. It seemed that the man was also into motorcycles and gotten along wonderfully with First Lieutenant Hansen during his stay.

Upon catching sight of her new boyfriend, the blonde woman's face lit up with a wide smile, and she hurried over to meet him. "Hey there, hot shot," she greeted him, grabbing his hand.

He returned her grip warily. "Is it okay to do this?" he questioned, a slight look of disapproval on his face.

"I okayed everything when I got here this morning," Sam said hurriedly. "We're good to go."

"Well then," Jonas replied, his features transforming into a wicked smirk before he pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply.

A throat being cleared behind them finally made them pull apart. "Dad!" Sam exclaimed when she opened her eyes and saw Jacob Carter standing there. "I didn't see you in the stands."

The older man shot a significant look at the lieutenant still holding his daughter. "I bet you didn't. Congratulations, sweetheart. You deserved this promotion."

Sam grinned and pulled away from Jonas, failing to see the irritated look that flickered across his face. "Thanks, Dad. I'm so glad you could be here." She gladly stepped into the hug her father offered.

"So do I get an introduction to the man I found kissing you so passionately?" Jacob asked, sharing a wary look with the subject of his inquiry. He didn't think Sam had seen the irritated, almost possessive look the younger man had gotten when she shifted away her attention, but he had. This one would bear watching.

"Of course. Dad, this is my new boyfriend, First Lieutenant Jonas Hansen. Jonas, this is my father, Brigadier General Jacob Carter." Sam looked between the two men, smiling.

"General," Jonas said as he snapped off a salute.

Jacob waited a second or two before returning it then offered his hand to shake. "A pleasure to meet you, Lieutenant. So when did the two of you start dating?"

Sam rolled her eyes. "This isn't something that's been going on behind your back, Dad. Jonas is the friend I've been telling you about for the last couple of months. We're officially together as of right now."

"Although, to be honest, I did ask her last night when we went out to dinner," Jonas added, hoping to win a few points with his candor.

"And I accepted. Oh, and before you even ask, the most we shared all night was a kiss," Sam said with an arched look at her father.

"All right, all right," Jacob replied, backing off for the moment. He wasn't about to alienate his daughter over a bad feeling about her boyfriend. "I just wanted to be sure. There could have been trouble."

"Which I cleared up even before the ceremony today. We have full permission to be together," Sam insisted.

Jacob nodded. "Then I won't raise any objections. What do you say the three of us go out for a late lunch, and then maybe give me another tour of the town?"

Jonas narrowed his eyes at the older man. He knew the old general didn't trust him and would likely start bombarding Sam with questions and suspicions as soon as they were alone. Well, he'd prove his case to General Jacob Carter. He'd be on his best behavior all afternoon, jerking the rug out from underneath any possible basis for suspicions before they could ever be voiced. He'd prove he was worthy of Samantha Carter. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, sir," he said as Sam nodded her agreement. "I've managed to find a few out-of-the-way spots that you might find quite interesting. You, too, Sam. It'll be a treat for everyone."

Sam grinned. "That sounds great. Let's do it." She linked her arm through Jonas' and the pair started off at a gesture from Jacob.

As he walked a step or two behind the couple, Jacob considered them. Jonas was trying to impress him, he could see that much; he dealt with it on a regular basis in the military, especially considering his rank. The only plus he could see to it was that it was also apparent that the need to impress centered around Sam, not the military. He still didn't have the best of feelings about the young man, and he would still be watching him carefully, but he'd give him a chance. It was the least he could do for the happiness he'd seen on his little girl's face when she'd looked at Hansen.

* * * * * * * *

Sam sighed as she listened to the dean's speech the next afternoon. The day before had gone pretty well, although she had a feeling her father still didn't trust Jonas very much. She was hoping another good experience with him would help improve his opinion. That, however, would require this ceremony to end some time before midnight. Considering how long-winded the dean was known to be, that was an optimistic goal.

The blonde lieutenant glanced around the crowd, looking for the two men she knew were there. Somehow she wasn't surprised to see they weren't sitting anywhere near each other. Her dad was sitting on the bottom bench of the bleachers, as close to the stage as he could get. Her boyfriend was four sections over, about halfway up, his navy blue dress uniform standing out amidst the light-colored summer clothes the others around him were wearing. This was a relationship that was going to take some work. She sighed again.

Fortunately enough, the commencement did finally end, and Sam milled around and waited for Jonas and her father to meet her. They'd agreed the day before that it would be easier that way. A tap on her shoulder had her spinning around to meet a pair of eyes she definitely hadn't been expecting. "Daniel!" she cried, throwing her arms around her friend and enjoying the return of the embrace. "You never said anything about being here!"

"What kind of surprise would it have been if I'd told you?" Daniel replied, giving her an extra squeeze.

"It is so wonderful to see you," Sam enthused, drawing back enough to be able to look him in the face once more, her hands still clasping his elbows.

"The same works in reverse, you know," Daniel said with a smile. "Is your dad here?"

Sam nodded. "You bet. He said it would have taken a world crisis to keep him away. He got here yesterday for my promotion ceremony."

Daniel smiled. "I would have been here for that, but I wasn't sure about the protocol for unexpected guests. Besides, I had to help Doctor Jordan finish up with a few pieces from the Reynolds collection. The rest the other assistants should be able to handle."

"Oh, you are so modest. I'm sure Doctor Jordan would be lost without you." She sprang forward and hugged him again.

The sound of a man clearing his throat next to them made the two friends separate. "And who is this?" Jonas asked, his tone and expression suspicious.

Daniel's eyes narrowed as he took note of the dark shadows in the man's gaze even as Sam grinned widely and reached out to take the newcomer's hand. "Jonas, this is my best friend, Daniel Jackson. Daniel, this is Jonas Hansen, my boyfriend." She blushed slightly at Daniel's eyebrows rising. "We officially started dating yesterday."

"Congratulations," the bespectacled man said immediately, his expression clearing. He blinked a few times before continuing. "I take it this is the same Jonas Hansen you talked about in your letters."

"This is him," Sam confirmed, giving the man in question a gentle smile.

Jonas ignored it and continued to stare at Daniel. "I don't think you've ever mentioned Mister Jackson before," he said in a deceptively calm tone.

Sam blinked. "I didn't? I could have sworn I had, especially when I didn't think he'd be here today." She frowned as she considered it.

"And that would be _Doctor_ Jackson," a new voice added firmly. "As in holding three doctorates in archaeology, anthropology, and linguistics."

"Jacob!" Daniel greeted the older man as he offered his hand to shake.

Jacob grinned and used the hand to pull him into a tight squeeze. "It's good to see you, Daniel. It's been too long."

Daniel shrugged and blushed as he stepped back from the hug. "It's just the way life works, Jacob. We both know that. I appreciate the letters you've sent, though."

"Least I can do."

Jonas' eyes narrowed as he watched his girlfriend's father greet this new man so enthusiastically. He was obviously much more in the elder Carter's good graces than Jonas could hope to be any time soon. The guy was a skinny, four-eyed, bookworm geek; what did Sam and her dad even see in him? If Jonas wanted, he could wipe the floor with the beanpole. And what exactly was Sam doing hugging him the way she had? If he didn't know better, he'd think the two had some kind of thing going. He'd have to watch this Daniel Jackson carefully.

"So how long are you here, Daniel?" Sam asked, even as she gave Jonas' hand a squeeze.

"I'm here for the week, actually," Daniel answered. "It's been a while since I took a vacation."

Sam looked over at Jonas and frowned briefly. She saw the flash of irritation that appeared for a moment on his face. They'd have to talk later. For now she refused to let anything ruin her special day. "I'm glad to hear it. It'll be nice to spend time with you."

Daniel grinned. "I was hoping that's what you'd say. Is this the point where we all go out for an early dinner?"

Jacob and Sam laughed while Jonas scowled. "I think that's the usual tradition, yes," the elder Carter replied. He noticed the other military man's expression and hoped Sam had as well.

"Usual tradition?" Jonas asked, schooling his features into a curious mask.

"When we've attended each other's graduations, we've always gone out to dinner after the ceremony," Daniel explained. "It's an easier way to get comfortable while we catch up on old times."

Sam blinked at the deliberately cheerful tone from her friend. If she didn't know better, she would have sworn Daniel was trying to drive home his long-standing history with her to Jonas. He must have seen the lieutenant's negative looks too. "We should get to it. Didn't you say you had another restaurant in mind for tonight, Jonas?"

Jonas twitched slightly at the sound of his name then gave Sam a bright smile. "Yeah, I did. I think everyone will enjoy it." He looked back at Daniel, his eyes reassessing the man. "And I think I'm looking forward to hearing all these old stories. Maybe I'll learn something embarrassing about you, Sam."

Sam blushed. "Or maybe not." She started to drag her boyfriend off toward the parking lot. "Come on, Dad, Daniel. Wouldn't want to miss out on the best table, now would we?" Jacob and Daniel shared a long look before following the couple.

* * * * * * * *

"Just what in the hell was all that?" Jonas asked quietly in a cold fury after he'd followed Sam into her apartment at the end of the night.

"What?" Sam asked in returned, totally shocked at the attitude. She'd thought the evening had gone quite well, that everyone had gotten along just fine.

"The way you acted with Jackson," Jonas spat. "It was like you couldn't keep your hands off him. Is there something going on between you two?"

Sam's jaw dropped for a moment. "Of course not!" she exclaimed. "We're very old friends. I met him when I was eleven, for Pete's sake. And I seem to recall telling you about my best friend Daniel I don't know how many times."

Jonas nodded, his expression still dark. "Right, the guy you're writing to all the time. Any X-rated descriptions I should know about?"

Sam's jaw clenched in sudden fury. "Go to hell, Jonas. I'm your girlfriend; that doesn't mean you own me and can tell me who my friends can and can't be. And Daniel is my _best_ friend. I won't give him up for you or anyone else. If you don't like it, there's the door." She gestured to the door behind him.

Silence fell hard and tense for a long, eternal moment while blue-grey and hazel stared intensely at one another. Finally Jonas released an explosive breath, his shoulders sagging with the sound. "Damn it, Sam, it's just hard to see you so intimate with another man, that's all. I know what a wonderful woman you are, and I don't want to lose you. That's understandable, isn't it?"

"Maybe," Sam conceded softly, not quite ready to let the man off the hook. "But that doesn't give you the right to say the things you did."

"No, it doesn't," the brown-haired man immediately agreed. "I was out of line. You just have so much history with Jackson; it was hard to see it in action, that's all."

"His name is Daniel,' Sam said with a sigh, her stance finally relaxing with the release of breath. "It might help if you think of him that way. I'm sure you'll like him if you really give him a chance."

Jonas gave her a small smile. "I'll try, Sam. I promise I'll try. Just remember it's going to take some time before I get over how jealous I am of him knowing you for so much longer than I have." The smile grew. "Just think of how much fun we could have been having with more time under our belts."

Sam rolled her eyes. "You have such a one track mind," she grumbled.

"You may be right," he admitted with a shrug. "So am I forgiven?"

"Only if you promise not to pull any more of that macho, alpha male crap. I am not property to be fought over or won." She gave him a serious glare.

He raised his hands in surrender. "I promise. No more getting territorial."

Sam reluctantly smiled at the pitiful little-boy-lost look he was giving her. "Then I suppose I can forgive you."

Jonas grinned and immediately pulled her into his arms. "I told you you were wonderful. Now let me make it up to you another way." He began to kiss the side of her neck sensuously, lingering on her pulse point until she gave an involuntary moan.

"I shouldn't let you do this," Sam said breathlessly, tilting her head to the side to give him greater access to the smooth tender flesh beneath his lips.

"Probably not," he murmured against her skin, the vibrations of his words only adding to the pulses of pleasure she was feeling.

"I should tell you to stop," she panted, releasing a sharp gasp as one of Jonas' hands came up and cupped one of her breasts.

He nodded, his mouth still dancing along her jugular. "Definitely," he whispered.

She arched her back in response to his ministrations. "So shut me up already!" she demanded.

Jonas paused and grinned widely, then proceeded to do that in the most pleasurable ways he could think of.

* * * * * * * *

As promised, Jonas was on his best behavior the rest of the time Daniel and Jacob were in Palo Alto, and actually seemed to enjoy the time spent with the two other men. Sam explained to Daniel and her father that her boyfriend's bout of jealousy had caused his surly behavior earlier, which eased the younger man's mind. Jacob wasn't as easily put off, however. He'd seen the negative, possessive looks even before Daniel had arrived. But he chose not to say anything, hoping that the transformation he had witnessed was true.

Daniel was kept quite busy upon his return to Chicago, between his work with Doctor Jordan and his own research. His attention was diverted by a letter in early October, however. He sat in his apartment the night he read the single-paged correspondence, the extra sheet that had been enclosed lying on the coffee table in front of him. His eyes were distant as he considered what had been asked of him.

Jack's commanding officer was suspicious of all the problems his teams, including Jack's, were having in the field. However, he wasn't sure who he could trust. Thus he had sent along a text for Daniel to translate, since Jack had raved about the younger man's skills on a number of occasions to his superior officer. The young linguist had looked at the second sheet of paper and done that instinctively before he had even read the words of explanation, but could only guess the odd phrases were a code of some sort after actually reading the first page in full.

It didn't bother him to do the translation; he was glad there was a way he could help his friend. The sticking point was that he wasn't to tell anyone about the request, not even Jack. Daniel understood why. He couldn't risk Colonel Pohoski or the missions his people were on anymore than they already were. But to keep such a big secret from one of his best friends... Daniel sighed. He thought he could finally relate to what Jack went through on a regular basis.

As he carefully copied down his translation and followed the colonel's instructions on addressing the return envelope, Daniel hoped that Jack and the others under Colonel Pohoski's command would end up safe.

* * * * * * * *

"Dear Daniel,

"This letter should get to you just in time for Christmas. I'm only sorry I couldn't send along a present to go with it. But since I just finished a long-term mission in eastern Europe, I figure you'd understand, and I promise to send something later.

"I can't go into details, but my team managed to pull off something pretty spectacular. According to Colonel Pohoski, we have a few translations to thank for that. While we were gone, it seems he and some others uncovered a few leaks in our translation team and got them plugged. Heads are rolling around here, that's for sure. The colonel thinks things might actually go higher up the chain of command, but I doubt we'll ever know for sure.

"One thing that came about because of my latest mission's success is a big ol' promotion. Yep, you guessed it. I'm now Lieutenant Colonel Jack O'Neill. I called Sara with the news and she was pretty excited. I can't wait to get home and see her and Charlie. He's starting to talk in complete sentences now, according to Sara. She still doesn't always understand what he's saying, but it sounds pretty complete. I'm looking forward to trying my hand at deciphering Charlie-speak over the holidays.

"Is Sam still dating that Jonas guy you told me about? It must be something pretty special if they're keeping it going even with her in Texas for flight school and him in Florida for Special Ops training. Long distance relationships aren't known for their longevity. If they're still together, wish Sam the best of luck.

"That reminds me. When are you going to rejoin the dating scene? It's been a long time since Mel, and you haven't even mentioned another woman other than Sam. And since you two are best friends, it makes me wonder what you're waiting for. You can't tell me there aren't any beautiful women who would like to spend time with a good-looking, intelligent man like you. I'm sure you could get a date or two if you tried. So try already!

"Okay, enough badgering. Have a good holiday, and stay safe. I'll write again as soon as I can.

"Your friend,

"Jack"

* * * * * * * *

"Dear Daniel,

"I can't tell you how excited I am to finally be able to move off-base and into an apartment. On-base quarters are all right, I suppose, but they don't allow for a lot of privacy. I guess having graduated top in my class at the academy and being an officer has really paid off.

"The other reason I'm excited about the move is Jonas. He graduated from Special Ops training and got himself assigned to a team based out of a base here in San Antonio. Not here where I am, unfortunately, but another base outside of town. Having off-base accommodations lets us have time that's just for the two of us, and I'm really enjoying that after having been separated so long. I'm just glad we've managed to make it this far.

"I can't believe it's been a year since I graduated from Stanford. When I realized I'd reached that milestone last week, I sat down and just took a few deep breaths. Time has just flown by. I mean, it feels like just yesterday I was at the academy. Do you feel like this? It's been a year since you got your last doctorate, too. But maybe it's different since you've reached that milestone before, and you've been working in your fields for a while.

"I'm hoping you'll get this before you leave for your dig in Mexico. I can't believe how much of the world you've already seen, even before I met you. I wonder if I'll ever see as many new places as you have; it'd be even better if we could see them together. Maybe we need to take another vacation somewhere. My memories of our trip to Athens are still some of my favorites, and I know they always will be. That photo album is in a special place on one of my bookshelves.

"Flight school is going well, and still feeding my need for speed. I know I keep telling you that, but flying has really touched me more than I thought it would. I always just saw flying jets as a stepping stone to becoming an astronaut, and that was where I was going to find true fulfillment. But this has been wonderful, and I think I'll be happy being a pilot and a scientist until I get to NASA. I bet Dad will be happy to hear that.

"I suppose I should keep this a little short. Jonas will be here soon, and I want to be ready before then. He hates having to wait for me to finish up, and I just don't want to fight tonight. I have my great news to share, and we should be celebrating.

"If I don't hear from you before you leave, have a fantastic trip. I know you'll love it. Send me pictures, and keep me up to date on how you're doing. I'll be thinking of you the whole time.

"Friends forever,

"Sam"

* * * * * * * *

Two days before Daniel was to leave for the archaeological dig in a remote region of the Yucatan Peninsula he'd agreed to join, he found he couldn't stop staring at the phone. His leave of absence from the Oriental Institute had begun a week before, and he'd moved everything but a few essentials into a storage unit since he'd be gone for just under a year and was giving up the apartment. He was supposed to be reading one of his books to brush up on a few facets of Mayan culture and architecture, but something about the letter he'd received from Sam a couple of weeks before was bothering him. And he knew the only way he could settle his mind was to talk to her.

With a sigh, Daniel finally gave up on his book and stepped over to the kitchen counter where his phone was. There was only a slight hesitation before he dialed, one last hope that his instincts were off crossing his mind as he listened to the ringing through the receiver.

"Hello?" Sam finally answered, her voice a little breathless, like she'd rushed to the phone.

"Hey, Sam, it's Daniel," the archaeologist replied, smiling at the sound of his friend's voice. Now he knew he'd made the right decision.

"Daniel!" Sam cried joyfully. "It's been so long since we've done more than exchange letters! How are you?"

Daniel couldn't help but smile even wider. "I'm doing all right," he replied. "Just biding my time before I leave in a couple days."

"Your dig in the Yucatan, right. That sounds so exciting." Sam laughed. "I think I'm jealous. I'm still stuck in flight school."

"Oh, I think you'll have more chances than me for adventure in the long run," Daniel refuted. "That's something the military is known for."

There was a slight pause Daniel could picture Sam taking to shrug her shoulders. "I wouldn't say that too quickly. You never can tell where your education will take you." There was another pause. "That's what my mom always told me," she finished softly.

"She was right," Daniel said gently.

Sam could be heard taking a deep breath before she continued. "Well, I take it you're all ready to go."

"I only have a few things to put into my storage unit, and then yeah. It's actually kind of strange to be staying in such an empty apartment."

"I bet."

"So how are you and Jonas doing?" Daniel asked casually, getting to the heart of his concern.

The archaeologist duly noted the hesitation before his friend's response. "We're fine. It's nice being so close and getting to see each other regularly. Well, when he's not off on assignment," she corrected quickly.

"So he's been on more than one?" Daniel asked.

"He just got back from his second," Sam confirmed. "Neither one was very long, probably just maneuvers to solidify his team's chemistry."

"That makes sense. I think Jack did the same thing when he started in special ops."

Sam gave a short laugh. "I forgot about Jack. I guess you would know about this."

Daniel shrugged. "Well, a little. Just what Jack was able to talk to me about." He swallowed down a sudden nervous lump in his throat. "So what's it like when Jonas is home?"

"Why… why do you ask?" Sam asked, a bit of defensiveness in her tone.

"It's just something in your last letter," Daniel said soothingly. "I just wanted to be sure everything was all right."

"I'm fine," Sam said, relieved. "Jonas has a few quirks that I have to get used to, but it'll work out."

The alarm bells were still ringing in Daniel's head, but he didn't have anything solid to base them on other than a gut feeling. "You mentioned fighting over not being ready when Jonas comes over," he persisted.

Sam let out a puff of air. "Well, yeah," she conceded. "Jonas is pretty picky about being on time. Actually, he likes to be early. I'm not as much of a stickler, although I do hate being late."

"You've been that way since I met you," Daniel said. "At least when you have a schedule to worry about."

"Exactly. And Jonas is used to getting his way about things. He's an only child."

"It sounds like he can get a little forceful about things when he wants to get his way," Daniel commented, his voice neutral while his fears started to take shape in his mind.

"A little, I guess. Vocally. I'm working on getting him to lighten up."

Daniel took a deep breath. "Be careful, Sam. Just… keep an eye on things and be careful."

There was a beat of silence before Sam replied. "What do think is going on, Daniel? Why are you so worried?"

"Well… It's just… I don't want you to take this the wrong way…"

"Daniel," Sam interrupted his rambling, "you're obviously worried about me for some reason. I just want to know why."

"From what you've said, and a few things I can remember from when I met him in person, Jonas seems a little controlling, and that can lead to… bad situations. I don't want to see you go through that." Daniel's eyes closed as he thought about those situations. The idea of Sam experiencing them scared him to the core.

"What kind of situations are you talking about?" Sam asked slowly, a tone in her voice that said she had her suspicions.

"I think you know, Sam. Someone who always needs to be in control and is willing to be forceful to keep that control can end up being abusive. I do _not_ want you to go through that." Just the thought, and the memories it brought up for him, made Daniel a little short of breath.

"Oh, Daniel. I think you're reading too much into this. Jonas would never hurt me."

Daniel swallowed down his excess emotions. "Maybe not right now, but in the future…"

"Jonas won't hurt me, Daniel," Sam said firmly. "That's not the kind of man he is."

"Sam, please listen to me," Daniel pleaded just as firmly. "I'm not saying Jonas is a monster in disguise or anything like that. I don't even know for sure that he's headed in that direction. But you have to know the signs are there. I've seen it - lived it - twice before; I know what I'm talking about."

"Twice?" Sam asked, startled out of her belligerence. "You mean it happened to you before Seaside?"

Daniel fought to find his voice. "Yes," he whispered. "About six months after I lost my parents." He wasn't about to go into any more detail than that.

"I… I never knew," Sam breathed. "You never said anything."

"No."

"But I just don't think Jonas would treat me like that," she protested after a few beats, desperate to believe it.

"You wouldn't," Daniel said quietly, although with a little more volume. "I'm not even sure _I_ do. But you have to look at how he's acting and what it could mean. I'm not saying to break up with him or anything like that. I just want you to pay attention, to know the possibilities before they sneak up on you and hurt you in the worst possible way."

There was a long moment of silence Daniel knew Sam was using to collect her thoughts. "I don't want to believe Jonas is capable of hurting me like that," she said finally. "But you're right. I need to be aware of what could happen if this control streak gets worse. And you'd only say something like this if you really believed it."

"I care about you, Sam. I don't want to see you hurt, not by Jonas, not by me… not by anybody. And I could be totally off about Jonas. Remember that. I just want you to be careful."

"I will be, Daniel. I promise." Sam swallowed hard. "And you better be careful in the Yucatan, too. I want you coming back safe and sound."

Daniel couldn't help but smile. "I'll do my best. I want to come back safe and sound myself."

Sam laughed. "Well, that's good to hear." She took a deep breath and released it. "Now, let's talk about more happy things. I know you mentioned a few things in your letters, but what are you planning to do while you're working on the dig?"

Daniel gladly dove into the more pleasant conversation, still a touch worried about Sam's future with Jonas but willing to put it aside. The two friends reconnected one more time as they talked, and lost track of time as they did. And when they were finished, they were both left with a satisfying sense of contentment.


End file.
